11-5-2017
November 15th is America Recycles Day! Each year, this day offers an opportunity to remember why we recycle in the first place. Here are some great reasons:
- Recycling reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators — by 34.6 percent nationwide, and by 44 percent in California.
- Recycling has created a multibillion dollar industry that provides millions of Americans with well-paying jobs.
- Recycling conserves natural resources such as trees, water, oil and metals.
- Recycling reduces the need for new raw materials, thereby reducing pollution.
- Recycling saves energy. We save the energy equivalent of the power that 14 million U.S. households would use in a year — that’s about 4.5 times the number of households in New York City.
- Recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions from landfills — the equivalent of removing about 13 percent of cars on the road in the U.S. for a year.
America Recycles Day is also the perfect time to get motivated about using less and recycling more. Need inspiration on where to start? Let us give you some ideas:
- Take a recycling pledge on AmericaRecyclesDay.org.
- Throw a waste-free party.
- Teach your kids sustainable habits.
- Spearhead sustainability initiatives in the community.
- Educate yourself on how to be a responsible consumer.
- Learn new ways to reuse.
- Start your own compost or worm farm.
- Donate items you no longer need instead of throwing them away.
- Learn how to recycle almost anything using our Recycling Guide.
Happy recycling!