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!