Below are some of the latest facts about recycling:
- Each person creates about 4.7 pounds of waste every single day
- In the US 33.4% of solid waste is either recycled or composted, 12.6% is burned in combustion facilities and 54% makes it's way into landfills
- In 2007 99% of lead acid batteries were recycled, 54% of paper and paperboard were recycled, 64% of yard trimmings are recycled and nearly 35% of metals were recycled
- The amount of recycling in 2007 saved the energy equivalent of 10.7 billion gallons of gasoline and prevented the release of carbon dioxide of approximately 35 million cars
- The number of landfills in the US are decreasing while their size is increasing. In 1998 there were 8,000 landfills but only 1,754 in 2007
- Each ton of mixed paper that is recycled can save the energy equivalent to 185 gallons of gasoline
- Approximately 8,660 curbside recycling programs exist in the United States
- There are about 3,510 community composting programs in the United States
- Disposal of waste to landfills has decreased from 89% in 1980 to 54% in 2007
- Recycling 1 ton of aluminum cans conserves the equivalent of 1,665 gallons of gasoline
- In 2007 the United States recycled and composted 85 million tons of the 254 million tons of municipal solid waste created
What are your thoughts on these facts?
We are getting better, maybe someday most of the percentages will be 100%.
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