Home recycling requires only a small amount of time, yet offers substantial benefit to the homeowner as well as the environment.
Why recycle paper? Because paper and paperboard products represent the largest portion of our municipal waste stream (e.g., trash). In 2007, paper and paperboard products accounted for about 83 million tons (or 33 percent) of all materials in the municipal waste stream. In that same year, we recycled more than half (55 percent or 45 million tons) of all the paper that Americans used.
According to the EPA, the national recycling rate is just 30%. Increasing materials recycling in the US to 60% could save the equivalent of 315 million barrels of oil per year. Recycling is a great way individuals can make a difference, both locally and globally.
Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees, 6,953 gallons of water, 463 gallons of oil, and 3 cubic yards of landfill space.
Paper takes up as much as 50% of all landfill space.
Up to 90% of recycled glass can be reused to make new glass items, such as bottles and jars.
Every glass bottle recycled saves enough energy for a 100 watt light bulb to be lit for 4 hours.
Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild the entire commercial airline fleet every six months.
Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run your TV for 3 hours.
Thirty-six recycled bottles can make one square yard of carpet.
130 billion beverage containers are sent to US landfills each year.
Recycling a 1-gallon plastic milk jug will save enough energy to keep a 100-watt bulb burning for 11 hours.
Glass can be recycled forever. It never wears out.
In the United States, the amount of steel that is discarded and not recycled every year is enough to build all the new American-made cars
