More Information About Our Trash and Recycling

PAPER
Nearly 1/3 of the raw material fiber used in U.S. paper mills come from recycled paper and cardboard. The remaining two-thirds comes from virgin fiber, or freshly cut trees. When we use recycled paper products, we help save resources. We could save about $1.8 billion and tremendous amounts of energy if all the paper we used had 50% recycled content. So remember, look for a statement that says a product is "made from recycled material" and complete the recycling loop.

OTHER
This category consists mainly of larger items that can often be reused or recycled, like appliances, furniture or construction debris.

WOOD/YARD WASTE
This16% of our total waste stream comes mainly in the summer months when everyone finds themselves in their yards upgrading their landscaping. This waste could greatly be reduced by composting or mulching our yard waste.

FOOD
Over 2/3 of the food we throw away is edible! This is a big waste of food and money. Remember that leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and make tasty snacks for another day. Food scraps can also be composted by placing them in a worm bin.

PLASTICS
Americans recycle 46% of their plastic soda bottles and 30% of their milk and water jugs, but overall, we only recycle 5% of all plastics! We can do better!

METALS
In the United States, we recycle almost 60% of our aluminum cans, so the can you may be drinking from right now is made up of about 52% recycled material. The easiest way to reduce the amount of metal in our garbage is by recycling more of our aluminum and tin cans. Clean aluminum foil can also be recycled with your aluminum cans. Remember to peel the paper labels off of tin cans and rinse them out before recycling.

GLASS
The nationwide recycling rate for glass is approximately 27%. Of this "container" glass, bout 60% is made up of clear containers, 30% from brown or amber containers, 7% from green and the rest from blue or other colored containers. Once they enter the recycling stream, they are sorted by color and then crushed. About 80% of these crushed containers are made back into new containers. The other 20% goes into making a variety of other products including fiberglass insulating material, reflective paint, abrasives and road surfaces.

CLOTHES/TEXTILES
When we throw away our "old clothes", it goes to the landfill. By taking old clothes to a thrift store or charitable organization, we not only reduce our garbage, but also allow other people to reuse things we no longer need.

ALUMINUM
Did you know that the energy saved from recycling a can versus creating a new one is enough to power a television for three hours?

Or that last year 54 billion cans were recycled, saving the energy equivalent to 15 million barrels of crude oil - America's entire gas consumption for one day?

Aluminum has become the leading recoverable material in the country with numbers so significant that aluminum recycling has become an industry unto itself! Last year over 50 percent of all aluminum cans sold in the United States were recycled. And through programs such as Aluminum Cans Build Habitat for Humanity Homes , residents in communities nationwide are hoping to raise the rate even more!

Aluminum recycling has been around since the early 1900s. It was, however, a low-profile activity until 1968 when the recycling of aluminum beverage cans finally vaulted into the public consciousness. Thirty years later, due to a nationwide push for environmental conservation and cause-related campaigns such as ACBHHH, a national mindset now recognizes the importance, value and ease of aluminum recycling.*

How long has the aluminum can been around? The standard 12-ounce aluminum can turned 35 in 1999 . It is the can that most Americans associate with recycling, and now it is helping families in need. Other sources for recycled aluminum include automobiles, windows and doors, appliances and other products.

"Small Planet" Monterey Regional Waste Management District School Education Program. King County Kids Web