Recycling
Recycle, Reduce, & Reuse
Facts
The average American uses 650 lbs. of paper per year
- Producing recycled white paper creates 74 percent less air pollution, 35 percent less water pollution, and 75 percent less processed energy than producing paper from virgin fibers.
- Recycling one ton of cardboard saves over nine cubic yards of landfill space.
- Number of landfills in operation in 1978: 14,000 in 1988: 5,500; in 2003: 1,500.
- Recycling one ton of newspaper saves 15 trees.
- Every ton of newspaper recycled saves 4100 kWh or enough energy to power a TV for 31 hours.
- Recycling a soda can saves 96 percent of the energy used to make a can from ore and produces 95 percent less air pollution and 97 percent less water pollution.
- One gallon of oil, when reprocessed, can generate enough energy to meet the electricity needs of a home for half a day
- Americans are producing more and more waste with each passing year. In 1960, the average American threw away 2.7 pounds of trash a day. Today, the average American throws away 4.5 pounds of trash every day. That is approximately 1,460 pounds per person per year Paper takes up as much as 50% of landfill space.