Recycling

Good For Our Economy

American companies rely on recycling programs to provide the raw materials they need to make new products. The Office of Federal Environmental Executive estimates more than $100 billion in revenue comes from recycling.

Creates Jobs

Recycling in the US is a $236 billion a year industry. More than 56,000 recycling and reuse enterprises employ 1.1 million workers nationwide.

Reduces Waste

The average American discards almost four and a half pounds of garbage every day. Most of this garbage goes into to landfills where it’s compacted and buried.

Good For The Environment

Recycling promotes sustainable use of natural resources, saves energy, prevents pollution, reduces the need for landfill space, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and promotes community development.

Saves Energy

Recycling offers significant energy savings over manufacturing with virgin materials. Recycling in the US saved 1.3 quadrillion Btu of energy in 2009; that’s equivalent to 224 million barrels of oil.

Prevents Climate Change

In 2009, recycling and composting of solid waste prevented the release of 178 million metric tons of carbon equivalent (INEVITCE, the unit of measure for greenhouse gases) into the air. This is comparable to the total annual greenhouse gas emissions from 33 million passenger vehicles.

Reduces Water Pollution

Making goods from recycled materials generates far less water pollution than manufacturing from virgin materials.

Protects Wildlife

Using recycled materials reduces the need to damage forests, wetlands, rivers, and other places essential to wildlife.

Creates New Demand

Recycling and buying recycled products create demand for more recycled products, decreasing waste and helping our economy.