Corporate Leadership Through
Sustainability Initiatives
Sustainability for business means making
responsible decisions today that will have
positive effects for the future allowing future
generations to have access to the same
resources and environmental benefits that we
enjoy today.
Reducing waste and recycling is good for the
environment and is a prime example of
corporate leadership and environmental
stewardship
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF
RECYCLING
•Americans represent only 5% of the world’s
populations, but generate 30% of the world’s garbage.
•In a lifetime, the average American will throw away
600 times his or her adult weight in garbage. If you add
it up, this means that a 150 pound adult will leave a
legacy of 90,000 pounds of trash for his or her
children.
•Of the garbage Americans throw out, half could be
recycled. That’s enough to fill a football stadium from
top to bottom every day.
Material
Aluminum
Glass
Energy Savings with Recycled vs.
Virgin
Environmental Impact
with Recycled vs. Virgin
Natural Resource Savings with
Recycled vs. Virgin
95% energy savings; recycling of
one aluminum can saves enough
energy to run a TV for 3 hours
(Reynolds Metal Company)
Reduces pollution by 95%,
(Reynolds Metal Co.)
4 lbs. of bauxite saved for every
pound of aluminum recycled
(Reynolds Metal Co.)
Enough aluminum is thrown
away to rebuild our
commercial air fleet 4 times
every year
50% energy savings (Center for
Ecological Technology); recycling
of one glass container saves enough
energy to light a 100-watt bulb for 4
hours (EPA)
20% less air pollution; 50%
less water pollution (NASA)
1 ton of glass made from 50%
recycled materials saves 250 lbs. of
mining waste (EPA)
Glass can be reused an infinite
number of times; over 41
billion glass containers are
made each year (EPA)
60% energy savings (Center for
Ecological Technology)
95% less air pollution; each
ton saves 60 lbs. of air
pollution (Center for
Ecological Technology)
Recycling of each ton of paper
saves 17 trees and 7000 gallons of
water (EPA)
Every year enough paper is
thrown away to make a 12'
wall from New York to
California
If we recycled every plastic bottle
we used, we would keep 2 billion
tons of plastic out of landfills
(Penn State)
We use enough plastic wrap to
wrap all of Texas every year
(EPA)
One ton of recycled steel saves
2,500 lbs. of ore, 1000 lbs. coal,
and 40 lbs. limestone (Center for
Ecological Technology)
Enough iron & steel is
discarded in the US to
continually supply the nation's
automakers (Steel Recycling
Institute)
Paper
Plastic
Steel
Plastic milk containers are now
only half the weight that they were
in 1960 (EPA)
74% energy savings; every pound
of steel being recycled saves
enough energy to light a 60-watt
bulb for 24 hours (Penn State
Every year we create 11.5
million tons of ferrous
wastes (Steel Recycling
Institute)
Miscellaneous Information
Energy Savings with Recycled vs. Virgin
95% energy savings; recycling of one aluminum can
saves enough energy to run a TV for 3 hours
(Reynolds Metal Company)
Environmental Impact with Recycled vs. Virgin
Reduces pollution by 95%, (Reynolds Metal Co.)
ALUMINUM
Natural Resource Savings with Recycled vs.
Virgin
4 lbs. of bauxite saved for every pound of aluminum
recycled (Reynolds Metal Co
Enough aluminum is thrown away to rebuild our
commercial air fleet 4 times every year
Energy Savings with Recycled vs. Virgin
50% energy savings (Center for Ecological Technology);
recycling of one glass container saves enough energy to
light a 100-watt bulb for 4 hours (EPA)
GLASS
Environmental Impact with Recycled vs. Virgin
20% less air pollution; 50% less water pollution (NASA )
Natural Resource Savings with Recycled vs. Virgin
1 ton of glass made from 50% recycled materials saves
250 lbs. of mining waste (EPA)
Glass can be reused an infinite number of times; over 41
billion glass containers are made each year (EPA)
Energy Savings with Recycled vs. Virgin Materials
60% energy savings (Center for Ecological
Technology)
Environmental Impact with Recycled vs. Virgin
PAPER
Natural Resource Savings with Recycled vs. Virgin
Recycling of each ton of paper saves 17 trees and
7000 gallons of water (EPA)
Every year enough paper is thrown away to make a
12' wall from New York to California
Energy Savings with Recycled vs. Virgin Materials
Plastic milk containers are now only half the weight
that they were in 1960 (EPA)
Environmental Impact with Recycled vs. Virgin
Why Recycle?
PLASTIC
Every ton of plastic bottles recycled saves about 3.8
barrels of oil (American Chemistry Council).
Recycled plastic bottles are used to make hundreds of
everyday products, ranging from fleece jackets and
carpeting to detergent bottles and lumber for outdoor
decking.
Natural Resource Savings with Recycled vs. Virgin
If we recycled every plastic bottle we used, we would
keep 2 billion tons of plastic out of landfills (Penn
State)
Energy Savings with Recycled vs. Virgin Materials
74% energy savings; every pound of steel being
recycled saves enough energy to light a 60-watt bulb
for 24 hours (Penn State)
Environmental Impact with Recycled vs. Virgin
Why Recycle?
STEEL
Every year we create 11.5 million tons of ferrous
wastes (Steel Recycling Institute)
Natural Resource Savings with Recycled vs. Virgin
One ton of recycled steel saves 2,500 lbs. of ore, 1000
lbs. coal, and 40 lbs. limestone (Center for Ecological
Technology)
Enough iron & steel is discarded in the US to
continually supply the nation's automakers
(Steel Recycling Institute)
Instills Employee Pride
Employees feel good about having a positive
impact on the environment, being recognized
and rewarded for their cost reduction and
waste reduction efforts, and working for a
socially responsible company.
Attract the best of the best! Many employees
who are knowledgeable and experts in their
fields are also socially responsible and want to
work for companies which demonstrate the
same values.
BINS
BINS
BINS
FROM DPPEA WEBSITE
http://www.p2pays.org/BannedMaterials/ABCcontainer/BinVendors.pdf