Solid Waste Facts

Recycling in the USA saves enough energy to power the homes of 7 states like Iowa. University of Northern Iowa Center for Energy and Environmental Education
Recycling in Iowa saves enough energy to power the homes of 14 cities like Cedar Falls. University of Northern Iowa Center for Energy and Environmental Education
One recycled aluminum can saves enough energy to light ten 100 watt bulbs for one hour. University of Northern Iowa Center for Energy and Environmental Education
Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to operate a TV for 3 hours. Eco-Cycle
Used aluminum cans are recycled and returned to a store shelf in as few as 60 days. Can Manufacturers Institute
Recycling just 1 ton of aluminum cans rather than throwing them away conserves more than 207 million BTU’s, the equivalent of 36 barrels of oil or 1,655 gallons of gasoline. United States Environmental Protection Agency
Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild our entire commercial fleet of airplanes every 3 months. Environmental Defense Fund
Aluminum begins to melt at a whopping 1220 degrees Fahrenheit. Can Manufacturers Institute
If every household in the U.S. replaced just one roll of 1,000 sheet virgin fiber bathroom tissues with 100% recycled ones, we could save: 373,000 trees, 1.48 million cubic feet of landfill space, and 155 million gallons of water. Seventh Generation Co.
Recycling five sheets of paper saves enough energy to light one 100 watt bulb for one hour. University of Northern Iowa Center for Energy and Environmental Education
Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 trees, 2 barrels of oil (enough to run the average car for 1,260 miles), 4,100 kilowatts of energy (enough power for the average home for 6 months), 3.2 cubic yards of landfill space, and 60 pounds of air pollution. Trash to Cash
Every ton of mixed paper recycled can save the energy equivalent of 185 gallons of gas. United States Environmental Protection Agency
If we recycled all of the newspapers printed in the U.S. on a typical Sunday, we would save 550,000 trees--or about 26 million trees per year. California Department of Conservation
Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to light four 100 watt bulbs for one hour. University of Northern Iowa Center for Energy and Environmental Education
Recycling glass instead of making it from silica sand reduces mining waste by 70%, water use by 50%, and air pollution by 20%. Environmental Defense Fund
Each year, steel recycling saves 76% of the energy needed to make steel from iron ore. This recycling of steel saves the energy equivalent of electrically powering one-fifth of the households in the United States, or about 18 million homes for one year. Steel Recycling Institute
Recycling one 2-liter beverage bottle saves enough energy to light four 100 watt bulbs for one hour. University of Northern Iowa Center for Energy and Environmental Education
It takes about five 2-liter beverage bottles to make an XL t-shirt.
The U.S. is 5% of the world's population but uses 25% of its natural resources. Environmental Protection Agency