Recycling Facts

Recycling Facts

When you make the choice to recycle your household or business waste instead of throwing it away, your actions can have wide-ranging effects. Learn how one simple change can help conserve a host of resources.

Cardboard & Paper

When you recycle one ton of cardboard you save 17 trees.
One ton of paper made completely from recycled scraps saves 7,000 gallons of water, 41 kilowatts of energy, and 5 cubic yards of landfill space.
All grades of cardboard, newspaper, and office paper recycled each year is used to make a wide variety of products such as newsprint, office paper, paper towels, tissue products, cereal boxes, gypsum wallboard, and kitty litter.

Glass

Recycling one ton of glass saves the equivalent energy of 10 gallons of oil.
Every ton of glass recycled saves 1,330 pounds of sand, 433 pounds of soda ash, 433 pounds of limestone, and 151 pounds of feldspar.

Aluminum

The average American throws out 61 pounds of aluminum cans every year.
Every ton of aluminum saves the equivalent in energy of 2,350 gallons of gasoline.
Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a computer for 3 hours.
More than 50% of a new aluminum can is made of recycled aluminum.
Recycled aluminum is made into cans, pie pans, and house siding. In fact, almost everything made of aluminum is made from recycled aluminum.

Plastic

26 recycled plastic bottles equals one polyester suit.
5 recycled plastic bottles make enough fiberfill to stuff a ski jacket.
Recycled plastic is used to make plastic lumber, clothing, flower pots, car bumpers, and more.

Metal

Any metal product that can be made with metal ore can be made with used or recycled metals.
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