Interesting Recycling Facts


When cleaning up the home or office it is nearly unfathomable to see how much trash is collected by individuals. Garbage cans and waste paper baskets are filled to the brim, and more trash will simply be created the next day. When heading to the trash can, try keeping in mind some recycling facts. Paper products are commonly used and discarded and it surprise some to know that the average person uses approximately one one-hundred foot tall Douglas fir tree each year in paper goods. Paper recycling has luckily reached an all time record high, with more than half or paper goods being created from recycled sources. More than three hundred pounds of paper is being recycled on average for every person on the planet – which is great, because it is so quickly used!

Other paper recycling facts include paper recycling also cutting down on other pollution. By recycling de-inked paper (de-inked paper is made through a process of running air bubbles through the liquid paper product, which captures the ink into the foam created) it is estimated that approximately seven thousand gallons of water, three cubic yards of landfill, and three hundred and ninety gallons of oil – which everyone knows is not getting any cheaper these days! These paper recycling facts should have anyone wanting to help and recycle their paper.

One startling recycling fact is that Styrofoam is completely non-recyclable. Enough Styrofoam is created each year to circle the earth well over 400 times if linked together, but it all is forced to take up space, as it cannot be used to make new Styrofoam. Many individuals are working toward eliminating Styrofoam in exchange for other, more recyclable products.

Steel recycling facts should have anyone interested in recycling the product. Current steel recycling already saves enough energy to power over eighteen millions households each year! By recycling steel, other products are also saved. Two thousand five hundred pounds of iron ore, one thousand pounds of coal, and forty pounds of limestone are saved per every one ton of steel that is recycled.

Junk mail recycling facts might come as a surprise to most individuals as well. Few know that the mail thrown into a trash can after a casual glance could be saving energy if recycled. In fact, 250,000 homes could be powered by the energy saved by recycling the junk mail individuals receive each and every day! It would also be found surprising to know that the average person spends eight months of their life doing nothing but opening junk mail, when adding up the time they have spent doing so over their lifespan.

These are all often little known recycling facts that may help one decide whether or not to recycle. The environmental impact of recycling is clean. It is up to each person individually to decide for themselves if they are willing to make an effort toward the cause.