RECYCLING FACTS
FACT
PAPER
One ton of recycled paper saves 3,700 pounds of lumber.
One ton of recycled paper saves 463 gallons of oil.
One ton of recycled paper saves 3.06 cubic yards of landfill space.
Each ton of recycled paper uses:
*64% less energy (saves 4,077 kilowatts of energy)
*58% less water (saves 6,953 gallons of water)
*74% less air pollution (one tree filters up to 60 pounds of
pollutants from the air each year-587 pounds of air pollution)
*saves 17 trees
than one ton of paper products from virgin pulp
One ton of recycled paper generates 35% less water pollution
ALUMINUM CANS
Aluminum can recycling saves 95% of the energy needed to make
aluminum from bauxite ore.
Recycling one kilogram of aluminum can save:
*8 kilograms of bauxite
*4 kilograms of chemical products
*14 kilowatt hours of electricity
A single aluminum can weighs approximately ½ ounce. In 1996,
31.92 cans weigh one pounds.
Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV set
for 3 hours or to light a 100 watt bulb for 20 hours
You can make 20 cans out of recycled material with the same
amount of energy it takes to make one new one
GLASS
One ton of recycled glass saves over a ton of resources:
*1,330 pounds of sand
*433 pounds of soda ash
*433 pounds of limestone
*151 pounds of feldspar
A ton of glass produced from raw materials creates 384 pounds of
mining waste, recycled glass cuts this by 75%
For every ton of new glass produced, we get 27.8 pounds of air
pollution. Recycling glass reduces that pollution by 14 to 20%.
Recycling glass saves 25 to 32% of the energy used to make glass.
Every ton of glass recycled saves 9 gallons of fuel oil
Recycling one glass bottle saves enough electricity to light a 100
watt bulb for four hours
STEEL
Every ton of steel recycled saves 5,400 BTU’s of energy
Every time a ton of steel is recycled it preserves:
*2500 pounds of iron ore
SOURCE
Weyerhauser
Weyerhauser
Weyerhauser
Institute of Scrap Recycling
Industries
Can manufacturing Institute
International Aluminum Institute
Aluminum Association
Recyclingit.com
Recyclingit.com
The Earth Works Group
Recycler’s Handbook
The Earth Works Group
Recycler’s Handbook
The Earth Works Group
Recycler’s Handbook
The Earth Works Group
Recycler’s Handbook
Waste Management Inc
Recycling and Buy Recycled Fact
Sheets America Recycles Day
School and College Magazine /
June 1993
School and College Magazine /
June 1993
*1000 pounds of coal
*40 pounds of limestone
Recycling steel and tin cans saves 74% of the energy used to
produce them from raw materials.
For every pound of steel that is recycled, enough energy is saved
to light a 60 watt bulb for a day
Benefits of using recycled ferrous metals instead of virgin ore to
make new steel:
*Savings in energy 74%
*Savings in virgin materials 90%
*Reduction in water use 40%
*Reduction in water pollution 76%
*Reduction in air pollution 86%
*Reduction in mining wastes 97%
PLASTICS
5 recycled plastic bottles make enough fiberfill to stuff a ski jacket
9 two-liter soft drink bottles in a pound of PET
MOTOR OIL
One gallon of used oil provides the same 2.5 quarts of high quality
lubricating oil as 42 gallons of crude oil.
Americans throw away enough used motor oil every year to fill
120 supertankers
Used oil form a single oil change (approx. one gallon) can ruin a
million gallons of fresh water – a year’s supply for 50 people.
Recycling used oil would save the U.S. 1.3 million barrels of oil
per day
The Earth Works Group
Recycler’s Handbook
California Dept. of Conservation
Institute of Scrap Recycling
Industries
Recyclingit.com
American Plastics Council
EPA
EPA
EPA
EPA