a little recycling trivia.

Did you know that……….

• the average person in the United States produces about 6.5 pounds of trash every day?
• at the rate Americans are generating garbage, 500 new landfills would be needed every year?
• one third of the paper mills in the United States use recycled waste paper exclusively?
• every three months, Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild the nation ’s commercial air fleet?
• if you throw away two aluminum cans, you would waste more energy than is used daily by each of a billion citizens in poorer countries?
• the energy saved from one recycled aluminum can will operate a television for three hours?
• it takes 95% less energy to make aluminum from recycled scrap than from virgin materials?
• making new paper from recycled paper requires 30-50% less energy than making paper from trees and it reduces contributions to air pollution by 95%?
• every ton of recycled office paper saves approximately 380 gallons of oil?
• the energy saved from recycling one glass bottle will light a 100-watt light bulb for four hours?

it’s like those fantastic NBC commercial moments from our childhood starring Levar Burton and various other sundry actors….the more you know.

[http://www.co.mchenry.il.us/Common/CountyDpt/PlanDev/swTrivia.asp]