Recycling
The EPA estimates that about 75% of the American waste is recyclable, but how much do we actually recycle?
We only recycle about 30% of the waste that we make.
What things should you not compost?
Things that should not be composted are processed foods, cheese, meats, oils, dairy, bones, peanut butter, or protein rich foods.
How much trash do we produce per day?
The average person will produce about 4 pounds of trash per day.
Which takes more energy; Recycling plastic or burning it in an incinerator?
Burning plastic in an incinerator takes up to 2 times the amount of energy that recycling plastic takes. Plus, it leaves fumes in the air causing pollution.
What does MSW stand for and what does it mean?
MSW stands for Municipal Solid Waste and it means trash or garbage that consists of everyday items that we throw away.
How much cardboard is actually recycled?
About 70% of corrugated cardboard is recycled.
How do bugs help with composting?
Some good bugs can help a lot with composting. One of the biggest things they do is eat the food scraps, and later exert it, helping breakdown the scraps, making it easier for the compost to come together.
How long does it take for Styrofoam to decompose?
Most Styrofoam DOESN'T decompose. Once it's made, it's here forever.
What percent of disposable water bottles are recycled?
Only about 23% of single use bottles get recycled.
How much additional waste do Americans (Everyone) generate thoughout the holidays?
In the US, about 5 million tons of waste is generated during the Holidays on top of the amount that we generate day to day.
How long does it take for a glass container to be recycled?
A glass container can go from being in a recycling bin to being back in the store in as few as 30 days.
What are some things that can be composted?
Egg shells, coffee grounds, banana peels, unprocesed foods, etc.
How much space does recycling one TON of cardboard save in a landfill?
Recycling just one ton of cardboard can save more than 9 cubic yards of space in a landfil
How long does it take for plastic bags to decompose?
It can take up to 1,000 years for a plastic bag to decompose in a landfill.
Lots of energy is saved when recycling aluminum cans; how many would you have to recycle to save enough energy to power a TV for 3 hours?
Just ONE!!
How much water is saved when you recycle ONE TON of paper?
Recycling just one ton of paper can save 7,000 gallons of water.
About how many pounds of food waste do we produce per year? (One person)
Each person in the US wastes about 238 pounds of food per year.
Since we Americans generate so much trash, how many times could we encircle the earth with the trash that we produce?
We could encircle the earth 24 times with all of the trash that we produce!!!
How much less energy does it take to recycle plastic than to make it from raw materials?
Recycling plastic uses 88% less energy than making plastic from scratch
A large and mature tree can produce about 10,000 sheets of paper; about how many trees of paper does an average school use per year?
An average school uses 360,000 sheets of paper per school year. That would be about 36 mature trees per school!
How many times can aluminum be recycled?
Aluminum can be recycled INDEFINITELY without loosing quality.
What is Vermicomposting?
Vermicomposting is when you compost with worms inside of a worm bin.
Why can't you throw away electronics?
Electronics should never be thrown in landfills because they are full of lots of chemicals and toxins that can leak into our ecosystems and harm the plants and animals.
What is plastic made of?
Plastics are made mostly from crude oil and natural gas. They also use materials such as cellulose, coal, and salt.
How many trees worth of paper are thrown away each year in the US?
About 1 Billion trees worth of paper are thrown away in the United States each year.