2015 Key Messages
America Recycles Day
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One day to educate and motivate.
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One day to get our neighbors, friends and colleagues excited about what can be accomplished
when we all work together.
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One day to ramp up our yearlong efforts to increase participation in recycling by helping people
across the country better understand how to recycle more and recycle right at home, at school,
at work and on the go.
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One day to make recycling bigger and better, 365 days a year!
THEME: Bathrooms, Bags & Gadgets
This year's theme is "Bathrooms, Bags & Gadgets," meant to shine a light on some of the "not top of
mind" everyday items. From shampoo and mouthwash bottles, to plastic bags and plastic wrap
packaging of items like paper towels and toilet paper, to consumer electronics small and large like
mobile phones, tablets, game consoles and more.
We all know the Top 10 in the Bin: cardboard, paper, food boxes, mail, beverage cans, food cans,
bottles, jars, jugs, and plastic bottles and caps. But for many Americans, recycling is not top-of-mind for
other materials (plastic bags and wraps, electronics and textiles) that often can’t go into the curbside
recycling bin but are still recyclable.
During this year’s America Recycles Day, Keep America Beautiful is making an extra effort to make sure
some of the often-forgotten consumer products – items in the bathroom, plastic bags and film wrap and
your electronic gadgets – all find a new life by being recycled.
You can be part of the solution by being more mindful of how to properly recycle the products you use,
in your home and elsewhere. Go to americarecyclesday.org to see if there’s a recycling event near you
or register to host your own.
CALL TO ACTION: “I Will Recycle”
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Commit to recycle more and take the “I Will Recycle” pledge at americarecyclesday.org/pledge.
You may select a specific item that you’re especially interested in recycling and pledge to recycle
more of that item in the future.
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After pledging to recycle, demonstrate your recycling spirit to friends and other committed
recyclers. Post a photo of yourself holding a recyclable product that you pledged to recycle. Use
the hashtag #IWillRecycle on Instagram and Twitter for a chance to be randomly selected to win
a prize!
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Learn about where to recycle in your community by going to the Keep America Beautiful
recycling locator at http://www.iwanttoberecycled.org/.
For more ideas on how to bring the campaign to your community and integrate the message with your
America Recycles Day event, see our activity guide at AmericaRecyclesDay.org/toolkit.
GIVE YOUR “GARBAGE” ANOTHER LIFE: SUPPORTING FACTS
When material is recycled, it becomes something new and valuable.
Plastic
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A plastic bottle can be recycled into new containers, t-shirts and fleeces, park benches, plastic
lumber, and playground equipment.
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Plastic bags are recycled into fences, decks, and shopping carts. (While not collected at the curb,
many retailers across the country collect dry-cleaning, bread, and newspaper bags along with
grocery bags).
Aluminum
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A can made of aluminum can go from the recycling bin to the store shelf as a new can in as few
as 60 days.
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Aerosol cans are becoming increasingly recyclable. Check locally to see if your program accepts
them.
Electronics
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More than 4.4 million tons of electronic equipment in the U.S. are recycled each year.
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One metric ton of electronic scrap from personal computers contains more gold than that
recovered from 17 tons of gold ore.
Paper
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The 60 percent of paper recycled in the U.S. is made into products like cereal boxes, tissues, and
file folders.
Steel
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Products such as structural sections and bridge spans use virtually 100 percent recycled steel.
Recycling is a multi-billion dollar industry that employs millions of Americans and helps advance our
clean energy economy.
The value lost by discarding packaging rather than recycling is estimated to be $11.4 billion. [As You
Sow]
The average American generates 4.4 pounds per person, per day and 1.51 pounds per day of that was
recycled or composted. Collectively in the United States, we produced 254 million tons of municipal
solid waste in 2013, and recycled and composted 34.3 percent of that total. [EPA]