By Vicki Patterson
This month on November 15 is America Recycles Day, we're taking it one step further by observing and raising awareness about it all month long!
Here's a Few Facts About Recycling
1. About 80% of the items buried in landfills could be recycled.
Stand Up To Trash is working on changing that!
2. 9 out of 10 people said they would recycle if it were “easier."
Stand Up To Trash is going to make it easier for you!
3. Despite only representing 5% of the world population, the U.S. generates more waste than
any other country in the world. (World Watch Institute)
That means we need to get savvy on what we can recycle, reduce our waste (by
rethinking if we really NEED that item.)
Repurposing is my favorite. Repurposing is a form of recycling that is focused on finding
new uses for items that are already present in the home, rather than discarding them.
Donate items. There are so many great nonprofits who take your gently used items and
give to a family in need or sell at their thrift store.
4. In less than 15 years, worldwide waste is expected to double. (World Watch Institute)
For The Environment
Recycling conserves finite natural resources - this is critical as population continues to grow exponentially.
Recycling conserves fresh water up to 95% in the mining and manufacturing process for many materials.
Recycling prevents waste from going into oceans - it is proven, when there is a strong recycling culture, there is less litter and less waste going into ocean
Protects forests which help to reduce CO2 emissions
Significantly reduces use of fossil fuel energy and reduces CO2 emissions
FACTS
Plastic
Five plastic bottles (PET) recycled provides enough fiber to create one square feet of carpet or enough fiber fill to fill one ski jacket.
Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.
Recycling one ton of plastic bottles saves the equivalent energy usage of a two person household for one year.
Cans
Every three months, Americans throw enough aluminum in the landfills to build our nation’s entire commercial air fleet.
The average person has the opportunity to recycle more than 25,000 cans in a lifetime.
Recycling a single aluminum can saves enough energy to power a TV for three hours.
It requires 95% less energy and water to recycle a can than it does to create a can from virgin materials.
Paper
Americans throw away enough office paper each year to build a 12 foot high wall from Seattle to NY (a new wall every year).
Making paper from recycled paper reduces the related contribution to air pollution 95%.
Recycling a stack of newspaper just 3 feet high saves one tree.
More than 37% of the fiber used to make new paper products in the U.S. comes from recycled sources.
Glass
Glass can be recycled and re-manufactured an infinite amount of times and never wear out.
Making glass from recycled material cuts related water pollution by 50%.
Recycling just one glass jar saves enough electricity to light an 11 watt CFL bulb for 20 hours.
More than 28 billion glass bottles and jars end up in landfills every year -- that is the equivalent of filling up two Empire State Buildings every three weeks.
Cardboard
Recycling cardboard only takes 75% of the energy needed to make new cardboard.
Recycling 1 ton of cardboard saves 46 gallons of oil.
Over 90% of all products shipped in the US are shipped in corrugated boxes, which totals more than 400 billion square feet of cardboard.
Nearly 80% of all retailers and grocers recycle their cardboard.
Food Waste
Food waste can be used for composting and sold to farmers or it can be provided as a food source for local animal farms that meet federal, state and local regulations for food scrap usage.
Almost half of the food in the U.S. goes to waste - approximately 3,000 pounds per second.
Food scraps make up almost 12% of municipal solid waste generated in the U.S.
Many schools and businesses are starting to compost food waste on site.
Compost
Food and paper waste used for food can be composted into nutrient rich soil and sold to farmers.
Almost half of the food in the U.S. goes to waste - approximately 3,000 pounds per second.
Food scraps make up almost 12% of municipal solid waste generated in the U.S.
Many schools and businesses are starting to compost food waste on site.
E Waste
In 2007, 82% equalling 1.8 million tons of ewaste (various electronics e.g. TVs, cell phones, computers etc) ended up in landfills.
In 1998, the National Safety Council study estimated about 20 million computers became obsolete within 1 year. In 2007, that number increased to 40 million.
Electronic waste total approximately 2% of the waste stream in the U.S.
Several states have now created mandatory collection and recycling programs for electronics.
Hard To Recycle Items
Did you know that more than 80 percent of mattresses can be recycled? Instead of sending them to the landfill, click here to find out how to properly dispose of your mattresses and other hard to recycle items. (Link takes you to Earth911.com)
OC Waste and Recycling has a great video about the landfill in San Juan Capistrano.
We can do this!! We're here to help you. Please ask any questions in the comments below.