1. We Make a Lot of Trash
In fact, Americans create 200-million tons of trash yearly! That’s four pounds of garbage per person every day.
An estimated 75% of the waste we make is recyclable, but only 30% of that is actually recycled. From electronics to disposable styrofoam cups, we need to take more consideration and change those numbers!
2. That’s a Lot of Cardboard
There are a lot of good reasons to recycle your cardboard. There are around 100-billion cardboard boxes made yearly in the US, but recycling cardboard only uses about 75% of the energy used to make new boxes. Even more interesting, 46 gallons of oil are saved for every ton of cardboard recycled!
3. We’re Wasting Our Trees
There are a lot of trees being taken away every day for the production of paper. The US discards enough paper per year to make up one-billion trees. Considering the fact that recycling a single ton of paper saves 7,000 gallons of water, think of how much we could save by recycling all our paper!
4. Aluminum Is Infinite
Aluminum is a big problem for the environment and one of the most important materials to recycle. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a light bulb for almost a whole day, and aluminum can be recycled endlessly without losing quality! It only takes 5% of the energy needed to make a new aluminum can as it does to recycle one, so you really have nothing to lose by sending that aluminum to the recycling bin.
5. Glass Takes How Long to Decompose!?
Glass can always be recycled, and always should be. It takes up to one million years for a glass bottle to decompose, and much like aluminum glass can be recycled over and over without suffering from quality loss. Despite this, 28-billion glass containers are thrown in the garbage every year!
Not-So Fun Facts About Recycling
It’s fun to learn about how much recycling can do for the planet, but one of the less fun facts about recycling is that so many of us simply don’t do it. We need to make a conscious effort to recycle more and make it an effortless part of our lives. It’s easy, and it saves on energy, money, and leaves a better world for everyone.
To get some help recycling lightbulbs and more, check out our products page. Feel free to contact us with any comments or questions.