Why is recycling important nationally

Read industry leader testimonials here. Americans throw away enough office paper each year to build a 12 foot high wall from Seattle to NY a new wall every year. Recycling a stack of newspaper just 3 feet high saves one tree. Food and paper waste used for food can be composted into nutrient rich soil and sold to farmers. Almost half of the food in the U. Many schools and businesses are starting to compost food waste on site. Did you know that more than 80 percent of mattresses can be recycled?

Instead of sending them to the landfill, click here to find out how to properly dispose of your mattresses. Glass can be recycled and re-manufactured an infinite amount of times and never wear out. Recycling just one glass jar saves enough electricity to light an 11 watt CFL bulb for 20 hours.

More than 28 billion glass bottles and jars end up in landfills every year -- that is the equivalent of filling up two Empire State Buildings every three weeks. Food waste can be used for composting and sold to farmers or it can be provided as a food source for local animal farms that meet federal, state and local regulations for food scrap usage.

In , about Food was the largest component at about 24 percent. Plastics accounted for over 18 percent, paper and paperboard made up about 12 percent, and rubber, leather and textiles comprised over 11 percent. Other materials accounted for less than 10 percent each. In , the amount of MSW generated was The amount of MSW recycled was About The amount of MSW combusted with energy recovery was Presented below are details of these trends:.

The generation of paper and paperboard, the largest material component of MSW, fluctuates from year to year, but has decreased from Generation of yard trimmings and food waste has increased since Generation of other material categories fluctuates from year to year, but overall MSW generation increased from to , with the trend reversing from to , and rising again from through In percentage of total MSW generation, recycling including composting did not exceed 15 percent until Growth in the recycling rate was significant over the next 15 years, spanning until The recycling rate grew more slowly over the last few years.

The recycling rate was The recycling and composting rates as a percentage of generation of the below materials in MSW has mostly increased over the last 58 years. See the table below for examples. The rate of yard trimmings composting was negligible in , rose to 12 percent in and 52 percent in In it was 62 percent, in it was 69 percent, and in it was 63 percent.

Food composting was negligible in , rose to 2. In the food composting rate was 4. Due to a change in methodology, there was an increase in the wasted food generation estimate between and , which resulted in a lower composting rate even though the tons composted remained the same from to Other food management pathways, estimated for the first time in , was In , U.

This is nearly 1 ton of waste per person per year, or approximately 4. This rate of use and disposal takes a particularly heavy toll on irreplaceable natural resources such as minerals and petroleum. Reprocessing used materials to make new products and packaging reduces the consumption of natural resources. For instance, every ton of recycled steel saves 2, pounds of iron ore, 1, pounds of coal, and 40 pounds of limestone. Every ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees, gallons of water, Plastics production also requires significant quantities of resources, primarily fossil fuels, both as a raw material and as a fuel to provide energy for manufacturing processes.

The energy required to manufacture paper, plastics, glass, and metal from recycled materials is significantly less than the energy required to produce them from virgin materials. Additionally, providing recycled materials to industry including collection, processing and transportation typically uses less energy than supplying virgin materials to industry including extraction, refinement, transportation and processing.

Processing raw materials makes heavy demands on energy resources. Reprocessing used materials reduces energy needs for mining, refining, and many manufacturing processes. Recycling paper cuts the energy required to manufacture paper from virgin pulp in half. Every pound of steel recycled saves enough energy to light a watt bulb for over 24 hours. Recycling used aluminum cans requires only about five percent of the energy needed to produce aluminum from bauxite.

Recycling a ton of glass saves the equivalent of nine gallons of fuel oil. Recycling just one glass bottle saves enough electricity to light a watt bulb for roughly 4 hours. Manufacturing goods from recycled materials typically requires less energy than producing goods from raw or virgin materials. When people reuse goods, or when products are made with less raw material, less energy is needed to extract, transport, and process raw materials, and less energy is required to manufacture products.

When energy demand decreases, fewer fossil fuels are burned and less carbon dioxide and other pollutants are emitted into the atmosphere. Recycling keeps materials out of landfills where they can introduce contaminants into groundwater systems. Recycling and waste prevention divert materials from incinerators which reduces greenhouse gas emissions, ash, and other pollutants caused by waste combustion. Recycling, composting, and diverting organic wastes from landfills reduce the methane that would be released if these materials decomposed in a landfill.

Recycling also increases the storage of carbon in forests. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in wood in a process called carbon sequestration. So citizens typically need to find innovative ways of reusing what materials they have for what they need. Additionally, scrap metal and second hand materials is increasingly important to help create a bank of resources for armies to turn into utilities.

In our modern times, nationalism has been replaced with environmentalism and the urge to help preserve our sparse resources by reusing goods and reducing waste. So, if pre-historic humans can figure out how to recycle, your annoying roommate can figure it out as well.

Sweden was one of the first countries to establish an official recycling system for glass bottles with refund deposits. For example, in it was at seven percent. Most recent figures show it around 35 percent now.

Recycling events can be surprisingly fun and educational. For instance, an event in Missouri involves making bracelets from plastic shopping bags, doing a composting activity, and building something out of recycled goods. Look for events in your area, bring your friends, and get involved. The more you know, the more you can make a difference! Make your commitment to reduce, reuse, recycle, and buy recycled. Excited about your latest recycling trip?

Share it on social media using the hashtag BeRecycled. The more we get the word out, the more we encourage others to recycle and help save the planet!