Recycling

Recycling: everyone’s business!
The need for recycling cannot be overstated. There are a number of reasons why some people don’t recycle. Inconvenience, knowing what is recyclable and sorting materials can be confusing. Yes, we feel your pain.
But recycling can’t be stressed enough how even the smallest efforts can make a huge difference. There are probably more things that can be recycled than most people realize. If we could all go even a just a little beyond the blue bin, by reducing and reusing, it could make an enormous difference on our planet.
The following is a short list of astonishing recycling facts that are sure to nudge you in the direction of going green.
Facts
• Each person creates about 4.7 pounds of waste every single day
• Americans throw away about 25 billion Styrofoam coffee cups every year, and 2.5 million plastic beverage bottles every hour
• It takes 80-100 years for aluminum can; 700 years for plastic, and 1 million years for glass to decompose (break down) in a landfill
• 315 kg of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere each time a metric ton of glass is used to create new glass products
• 20 million tons of electronic waste thrown away each year; One ton of scrap from discarded computers contains more gold than can be produced from 17 tons of gold ore
• 12 million barrels of oil are used per year for producing plastic bags in USA
• Each paper cup manufactured is responsible for 0.24 lbs of CO2 emissions
However,
• Only 1/3 of all beverage containers in US never get recycled!
• Only 33.4% of solid waste is either recycled or composted; 12.6% is burned in combustion facilities and the rest -54%- makes its way into landfills – enormous!
• In 2007, only 54% of paper/paperboard, 64% of yard trimmings, and 35% of metals were recycled.
Recycling can do so much
• 1 aluminum can: save enough energy to power a TV for up to three hours, and can conserve the equivalent of 1,665 gallons of gasoline (It can be recycled into: soda cans, pie plates, license plates, thumbtacks, aluminum foil, and many more.)
• 544,000 trees: saved if every household in US replace just one roll of virgin fiber paper towels (70 sheets) with 100 percent recycled ones.
• 9 cubic yards: Amount of landfill space saved by recycling one ton of cardboard.
• 79 million tons: Amount of waste material diverted away from disposal in 2005 through recycling and composting.
• 5 percent: Fraction of the energy it takes to recycle aluminum versus mining and refining new aluminum.
• 1 ton of recycled mixed paper: can save the energy equivalent to 185 gallons of gasoline.
• PET plastic: can be recycled into clothing, fiberfill for sleeping bags, toys, stuffed animals, rulers and more.
• Refillable glass bottles: can be reused 20 or more times!
• Glass: can be recycled into jars, jewelry, bottles, dishes, drinking glasses, coffee mugs and many more.
• $160 billion: Value of the global recycling industry that employs over 1.5 million people.
(source: epa.gov)

And much more. Working together, there is even more we can do for our environment.
Let’s challenge each other to step forward, take action, and contribute to this important effort.
By making a small change, we will better protect our natural resources, improve our quality of life, and strengthen our economy.
Are you in this?