Recycling

Each aluminum can you recycle saves the amount of energy used burning a light bulb for three hours.

N. Americans (US) throw away c. 35 billion aluminum cans every year - enough to rebuild their entire commercial air fleet four times.

Recycling a glass jar saves enough power to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours.

Each ton of paper recycled saves c. 17 trees, 7000 gallons of water and creates 35% less pollution (74% less air pollution) than manufacturing non-recycled paper. It also saves 3 cubic yards of waste paper going into landfills.

1500 new jobs are created for every one million new people who start recycling.

During 1990, N. Americans threw away c. 1 million tons of aluminum cans and foil, 11 million tons of glass bottles and jars, 4.5 million tons of office paper, and 10 million tons of newspapers.

The average N. American (US) makes 3.5 pounds of garbage each day - a national total of over 160 million tons each year. Over 80% of this could be recycled with existing technologies.

During 1990, N. Americans threw away c. 1 million tons of aluminum cans and foil, 11 million tons of glass bottles and jars, 4.5 million tons of office paper, and 10 million tons of newspapers.

"We are recycling not only to protect the environment, but for economic reasons as well. Disposal is simply too costly and too dangerous. The challenge is to redirect the flow of raw materials going to landfill into strengthening or declining local economies. The solution to pollution is self-reliant cities and counties."