The Impact Of Recycling - Making A Daily Difference

Recyclebank'. presents THE IMPACT OF RECYCLING MAKING A DAILY DIFFERENCE EASY TO FORGET Americans spend an average of $51,000 on household expenditures per year. As you go through the day, it's easy to forget that all these little things often become trash: Morning Newspaper - Laundry Detergent Jug Toilet Shampoo Bottle Paper Roll Junk Mail Soup Milk Soda SODA SOUP Can Jug Can MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE (MSW) Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is the accumulation of everyday household, office, and retail trash. While these little items may not seem like much, they add up. How does this Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) break down by material? 27.4% 14.5% 13.5% 12.7% 8.9% Paper and Paperboard Food Yard Plastics Metals Waste Trimmings 8.7% 6.3% 4.6% 3.4% Rubber, Leather, Textiles Wood Glass Other Nationwide, Americans generate 251 million tons of waste annually. How does each person contribute to these 251 million tons of MSW? 4.38 lbs. 11.43 lbs. 4,172 lbs. The average amount The average amount of The average amount of waste of waste a person waste generated per generated per household per yea. generates per day. household per day. the same weight as a White Rhino! Approximately 75% of national MSW-over Americans only recycle 65 million tons, while 135 but 188 million tons-is recyclable. million tons of MSW end up in landfills. How can we reduce the waste that ends up in landfills? 1.14 lbs. 2.28 lbs. 65 Million Tons Currently, the average if If everyone doubled 65 million more tons person recycles what they recycle-from would be recycled.the 1.14 pounds per day. 1.14 to 2.28 pounds-our same weight as nation could be recycling 176,871 Boeing 747s! 130 million tons annually. This change is more realistic than it may appear. Consider these trends: 25.0% 89.0% 53.8% VS 1980 1980 2012 Percentage increase Percentage of Percentage of in recycling rate waste ending up in waste ending up in since 1980. landfills in 1980. landfills in 2012. IMPACT OF RECYCLING IN OUR WORLD Americans recycle 65 million tons of MSW per year. In 2012, we recycled nearly 51 million tons of paper, steel, and aluminum, In the U.S., recycling is a $236 billion-per-year The recycling industry employs 1.1 million which reduced greenhouse gas American workers. industry. emissions equivalent to removing 30.2 million cars from the road. Recycling 1 ton of aluminum cans conserves energy equivalent to a lot of fuel! SODA SODA SODA 1 ton 1,665 gal. Enough to fuel a passenger car for of aluminum cans of gasoline saved 3 years and 4 months. & Nationwide, we recycle 44 billion aluminum cans annually. SODA SODA SODA Fuel for 44 billion 722,675 cars recycled cans for over 3 years. CONTRIBUTING TO A GREEN COMMUNITY Check with your municipality or waste hauler to see what's accepted in your curbside recycling program. You can also check Recyclebank.com for more info about what you can recycle. Only recycle what is accepted. Rinse and dry recyclables before tossing them. Keep an eye out for small things, like paper straw wrappers. Take non-curbside recyclables like batteries and e-waste to local drop-off centers. Recycling has made huge strides in the last thirty years. By taking small, everyday actions, you can help keep up the good momentum to create a greener Earth for the future! Recyclebank inspires and rewards smarter, everyday choices for a more sustainable Recyclebank future. We know that it takes a group effort to make a positive impact, which is why we bring together communities, businesses, and people like you. Learn more about the impact of recycling at Recyclebank.com. Sources Environmental Protection Agency U.S. Census Bureau http://www.epa.gov/solidwaste/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/2012_msw_fs.pdf http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tools/localgov/benefits/ http://www.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/materials/alum.htm http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/420f08024.pdf http://www.epa.gov/osw/education/quest/pdfs/unit2/chap4/u2-4 Jandfills.pdf http://www2.epa.gov/recycle/how-do-i-recycle-common-recyclables http://quickfacts.census.gov/gfd/states/00000.html Forbes http://www.forbes.com/2007/10/16/environment-energy-ver- mont-biz-beltway-cx_bw_mm_1017greenstates.html Bureau of Labor Statistics National Geographic http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cesan.nr0.htm http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/white-rhinoceros/ Australian Aluminum Council Northeastern Michigan Council of Governments http://www.nemcog.org/downloads/recycling_fact_sheet.pdf http://aluminium.org.au/FAQRetrieve.aspx?ID=45688 Boeing North Carolina-Wilmington University 4http://uncw.edu/campuslife/documents/RecyclingTriviaQuestions pdf http://www.boeing.com/boeing/commercial/747family/pf/pf_- classics.page