Recycling is supposed to be one of the most effective measures of waste management. With the alarm having sounded for different climatic changes, it is evident that every person needs to make an effort to ensure better and proper management of waste, which can only be done with recycling.
There are many facts and figures about recycling that will not only amaze you, but will also make you aware of the different facets of recycling.
Facts about Paper Recycling
Paper is one of the most sought after materials in the recycling industry. Due to its versatility, it can be converted into different products and items. However, there are different alarming facts and figures about paper recycling that need to be read before wasting the next bit of paper in the landfill.
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It takes more than 500,000 trees to create every week’s Sunday newspaper. The damage to the ecological balance of the planet is beyond repair.
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Sending your discarded Sunday New York Times to the recycling unit can easily save more than 75,000 trees.
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It has been cited in every recycling discussions that recycling all our newspapers will actually save 250,000,000 trees each year.
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It is a known fact in the recycling industry that every ton of recycled paper actually saves more than 7000 gallons of water, 17 trees, and 4000 kilowatts of energy, three cubic yards of landfill space and 380 gallons of oil.
Yet, communities and municipalities ignore the importance of recycling paper, which has not only affected the environment and ecological balance in different areas.
Facts about Metal Recycling
Metal is a universal recycling material that can be converted into different products that can further be used in various fields. Here are some facts and figures about metals and its recycling:
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If you throw away aluminum can in the landfill, then it will take more than 500 years to biodegrade. Therefore, it is best to send the can for recycling as every can that is recycled can be a part of a new aluminum can in the next 6 weeks.
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If 1 pound of steel is recycled, it can actually light a 60-watt bulb for the next 24 hours.
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If steel is recycled in a proper manner every year, it actually conserves enough energy to light and heat more than 18,000,000 homes.
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It has been estimated that more than 350,000 aluminum cans are produced in 1 minute.
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By the time you finish reading this sentence, 50,000 12-ounce aluminum cans have already been manufactured around the world.
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Certain metals have limitations of how many times they can be recycled, but there is no limit when it comes to aluminum.
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With every ton of steel that is recycled, the world is able to save 40 pounds of limestone, 2,500 pounds of iron ore and 1,000 of coal.
Facts about Plastic Recycling
Plastic is one of those materials that are used in each and everything in our day-to-day life. From packaging to automobile parts, plastic is everywhere. Therefore, it is essential to know the different facts and figures about plastic recycling.
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Plastic bags are lightweight; therefore, they can easily fly away from landfills and recycling bins. These generally land in different seas, oceans, beaches, and gardens.
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One of the biggest reasons for the death of more than 1,000,000 sea creatures is plastic bags as these get caught in the digestive system of these creatures, which causes choking and suffocation.
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Throwing away more than 2,500,000 plastic bottles every year can cause enough damage to the planet that will take more than 100 years to recover.
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Plastic in the landfills takes more than 500 years to biodegrade.
Therefore, it is better to send each and every plastic bottle, bag and other related products to the recycling unit.
All the above facts provide a deeper insight in the way the world is handling different kinds of waste. Talking about change will never alter the scenario. People need to make the effort to see the change.
Erich Lawson is very passionate about the environment and effective recycling. He has written a wide array of articles on educating the public on how modern recycling equipments can be used by industries to reduce monthly garbage bills and increase recycling revenue. You can learn more about environment savings techniques by visiting http://www.norcalcompactors.net/blog
