What is recycling? Recycling is the process of taking a product at the end of its useful life and using all or part of it to make another product. Recycling is good for our Economy Nationwide, recycling employs over 1.1 million workers with an annual payroll of nearly $37 billion dollars. Recycling takes trash and makes it a commodity (worth something). Recycling saves Energy Recycling one aluminum can would save enough energy to run a laptop computer for five hours. In 2009, America saved the equivalent of 224 million barrels of oil by recycling and composting 82 million tons of MSW. Producing recycled paper requires about 60 percent less energy than that used to make paper from virgin wood pulp. Environmental Benefits Recycling conserves natural resources and lessens harmful environmental practices Recycling one ton of paper is the same as saving 17 trees and 7,000 gallons of water. Recycling reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills. What makes what? Aluminum: new cans, house siding, lawn furniture. Glass: glass jars and bottles, fiberglass insulation, countertops, pavement. Paper: copy paper, newspaper, kitty litter, insulation. Plastic: containers, fiberfill, building materials, picnic tables, playground equipment. Steel: cans, tools, building materials.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

To me, Reuse is the ultimate way to recycle.  One way or another I have been doing that all my life.  For my grandparents, this was a way of life (and anyone else that lived during the great depression). If something can be effectively reused, then it needs to be.  It bothers me to see good stuff thrown away for no reason.  The old saying, one mans trash is another mans treasure, certainly holds true for me.

Reducing is always a great way to go as well.  After all, less is more! (especially in the store,  they charge you more and give you less)  It seems like todays society is all about fast and convenient but not always about what is best for us and our environment.  If everyone would do just a small part of what’s best for us and our environment, then we could bring about great changes.

Recycling is an easy and oftentimes convenient way to help our environment by cutting down on the amounts of raw materials that are used to manufacture new materials.  Recycling helps to keep materials out of our rapidly depleting landfill space.  Recycling just makes sense!

Do your part today!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!!!!!!