Recyclable materials
America is the best examples of countries who recycles wastes.In US,a lot of materials are recycled and saved to nature.Plastics,papers,batteries,asbestos,medical wastes,glasses,metals are recycled.

Total Municipal Solid Waste Generation, 2007: Click on Chart to View Information in Text Format
PAPER RECYCLİNG

Paper is the most prevalent material in municipal solid waste (MSW) - more commonly known as trash or garbage – And therefore, paper recycling can help us reduce the amount of MSW.
Americans recycled more than 50 percent of the paper they used in 2008.
Recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions, conserves natural resources, and saves landfill space. 80 percent of America’s paper mills are designed to use paper collected in recycling programs, and they depend on paper recycling to have the materials they need to operate.
Over the centuries, paper has been made from a wide variety of materials such as cotton, wheat straw, sugar cane waste, flax, bamboo, wood, linen rags, and hemp. Regardless of the source, you need fiber to make paper. Today fiber comes mainly from two sources – wood and recycled paper products.
Paper mills differ in their processes based on the source of fiber used and the end product produced. There are three basic types of mills:
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Pulp mills
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Recycled paper processing mills
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Mills that use both recycled and virgin fiber
USED OİL
Used oil is exactly what its name implies, any petroleum-based or synthetic that has been used. During normal use, impurities such as dirt, metal scrapings, water or chemicals, can get mixed in with the oil, so that in time, the oil no longer performs well. Eventually, this used oil must be replaced with virgin or re-refined oil to do the job correctly.
Did you know that the used oil from one oil change can contaminate 1 million gallons of fresh water - a years' supply for 50 people!
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Used motor oil is insoluble, persistent and can contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals.
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It’s slow to degrade.
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It sticks to everything from beach sand to bird feathers.
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It's a major source of oil contamination of waterways and can result in pollution of drinking water sources.
On average, about four million people reuse motor oil as a lubricant for other equipment or take it to a recycling facility.

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Recycled used motor oil can be re-refined into new oil, processed into fuel oils and used as raw materials for the petroleum industry.
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One gallon of used motor oil provides the same 2.5 quarts of lubricating oil as 42 gallons of crude oil.
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If all the oil from American do-it-yourself oil changers were recycled, it would be enough motor oil for more than 50 million cars a year. Imagine how much foreign oil that would eliminate.
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Used motor oil from cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, farm equipment and lawnmowers can be recycled and re-refined.
ALUMINUM
Aluminum cans are lightweight, convenient, portable, and keep beverages cold. Cans are often used to package soda, beer, and other beverages, and account for nearly all of the beverage packaging market for some products. When you throw your aluminum can into the recycling bin, you are contributing to a process that conserves natural resources and saves money compared to manufacturing cans from virgin materials.
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In 2008, the United States generated nearly 2 million tons of aluminum as containers and packaging, and manufacturers used about 1.4 million tons of aluminum to make durable and nondurable goods.
The average aluminum can contains 40 percent postconsumer recycled aluminum. Recovering aluminum for recycling saves money and dramatically reduces energy consumption. The aluminum can recycling process saves 92 percent of the energy needed to produce aluminum from bauxite ore, according to EPA's WAste Reduction Model (WARM) .
An aluminum can that is recovered for recycling is back in the consumer stream in a short period of time. It takes about 6 weeks total to manufacture, fill, sell, recycle, and then remanufacture a beverage can. Most of the aluminum recovered from the waste stream is used to manufacture new cans, "closing the loop" for can production.
GLASS
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Americans generated 12.2 million tons of glass in the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream in 2008.
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About 23 percent of the glass was recovered for recycling.
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Recovery increased from 750,000 tons in 1980 to more than 2.8 million tons in 2008

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Soft drink, beer, food, wine, and liquor containers represent the largest source of glass generated and recovered for recycling.
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Glass in durable goods, such as furniture, appliances, and especially consumer electronics, round out the sources of postconsumer glass.
PLASTICS
Plastics play an important role in almost every aspect of our lives. Plastics are used to manufacture everyday products such as beverage containers, household items, and furniture.
The widespread use of this valuable material demands proper management of used plastics, as they have become a larger part of the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream in recent decades.
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In 2008, the United States generated about 13 million tons of plastics in the MSW stream as containers and packaging, almost 7 million tons as nondurable goods, and almost 11 million tons as durable goods.
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The total amount of plastics in MSW—about 30 million tons—represented 12.0 percent of total MSW generation in 2008.
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Plastics are a rapidly growing segment of the MSW stream. The largest category of plastics are found in containers and packaging (e.g., soft drink bottles, lids, shampoo bottles), but they also are found in durable (e.g., appliances, furniture) and nondurable goods (e.g., diapers, trash bags, cups and utensils, medical devices).
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The amount of plastics generation in MSW has increased from less than 1 percent in 1960 to
12.0 percent in 2008.
Plastic resins are processed in several ways, including extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, and rotational molding. All of these processes involve using heat and/or pressure to form plastic resin into useful products, such as containers or plastic film.
BATTERIES
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Americans purchase nearly 3 billion dry-cell batteries every year to power radios, toys, cellular phones, watches, laptop computers, and portable power tools.
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Inside a battery, heavy metals react with chemical electrolyte to produce the battery's power.
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Wet-cell batteries, which contain a liquid electrolyte, commonly power automobiles, boats, or motorcycles.
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Nearly 99 million wet-cell lead-acid car batteries are manufactured each year.

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Recycling batteries keeps heavy metals out of landfills and the air. Recycling saves resources because recovered plastic and metals can be used to make new batteries.
One way to reduce the number of batteries in the waste stream is to purchase rechargeable batteries. Nearly one in five dry-cell batteries purchased in the United States is rechargeable.
Over its useful life, each rechargeable battery may substitute for hundreds of single-use batteries.
TEXTILES
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An estimated 12.4 million tons of textiles were generated in 2008, or 5.0 percent of total municipal solid waste (MSW) generation.
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The textile recycling industry annually prevents 2.5 billion pounds of postconsumer textile product waste from entering the solid waste stream, according to the Council for Textile
Recycling.
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This 2.5 billion pounds of postconsumer textile waste represents 10 pounds for every person in the United States.
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Approximately 500 million pounds of textiles collected are used by the collecting agency, with the balance sold to textile recyclers, including used clothing dealers and exporters, wiping rag graders, and fiber recyclers.
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Most textile recycling firms are small, family-owned businesses with fewer than 500 employees. The majority employ between 35 and 50 workers, many of whom are semi-skilled or marginally employable workers.
STEEL
Steel makes up the largest category of metals in the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream. For many years, steel has been a commonly recycled material in North America and throughout the world. Efficiently managing and recycling used steel products is important to maximize the utility of this commodity.
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More than 1,000 facilities in the United States make and process steel, and most are located in the Great Lakes region and the South.
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In 2008, the United States generated about 2.6 million tons of steel as containers and packaging in the MSW stream, as well as about 13 million tons of ferrous metals, which include iron and steel, as durable goods.
Recovering steel not only saves money, but also dramatically reduces energy consumption, compared to making steel from virgin materials. In turn, this reduces the amount of

greenhouse gases released in to the air during processing and manufacturing steel from virgin ore.
ELECTRONİC WASTES
Recycling vs Disposal
Of the 2.25 million tons of TVs, cell phones and computer products ready for end-of-life
(EOL) management, 18% (414,000 tons) was collected for recycling and 82% (1.84 million tons) was disposed of, primarily in landfills.
From 1999 through 2005, recycling rate was relatively constant at about 15%. During these years, the amount of electronics recycled increased but the percentage did not because the amount of electronics sent for end of life management increased each year as well.
For 2006-2007, the recycling rate increased to 18%, possibly because several states have started mandatory collection and recycling programs for electronics.
Generated
(million of units)
Disposed
(million of units)
Recycled
(million of units)
Recycling Rate
(by weight)
Televisions 26.9
Computer
Products*
205.5
20.6
157.3
6.3
48.2
18%
18%
Cell Phones 140.3 126.3 14.0 10%
*Computer products include CPUs, monitors, notebooks, keyboards, mice, and hard copy peripherals.
Details on the data sources, assumptions, and calculations underlying the information summarized above are available in two reports. Each report analyzes the management of electronics, but use different sets of data inputs and life span models. Looking at both of the reports together, it is evident that the results are quite similar. The fact sheet summarizes each approach and presents the joint results for 2003-2005.
ELECTRONIC RECYCLING
The use of electronic products has grown substantially over the past two decades, changing the way and the speed in which we communicate and how we get information and entertainment. Our growing reliance on electronics is illustrated by some remarkable figures.
According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Americans own approximately 24 electronic products per household.
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EPA is working to educate consumers and others on why it is important to reuse and recycle electronics and what the options are for safe reuse and recycling of these products. State and local governments, manufacturers, and retailers, who are already aware of the pressing need to better manage these materials, are providing more opportunities to recycle and reuse this equipment. Many computer manufacturers, TV manufacturers, and electronics retailers offer some kind of take back program or sponsor recycling events. Many states have passed some sort of legislation to manage end-of-life electronics, and more are expected to follow suit.
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE
Leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients are considered to be "household hazardous waste" or "HHW." Products, such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides, that contain potentially hazardous ingredients require special care when you dispose of them.
Improper disposal of household hazardous wastes can include pouring them down the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers, or in some cases putting them out with the trash. The dangers of such disposal methods might not be immediately obvious, but improper disposal of these wastes can pollute the environment and pose a threat to human health. Many communities in the United States offer a variety of options for conveniently and safely managing HHW.
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yard trimmings
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food scraps
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wood waste
Yard trimmings
Grass clippings and trimmings from bushes, trees, and other yard vegetation are examples of yard trimmings. Composting yard trimmings saves landfill space and reduces methane production in landfills. Methane gas causes global climate change.
Many local governments offer drop-off and/or curbside collection of yard trimmings not composted by homeowners. Drop-off sites work best with residents accustomed to delivering their household discards to landfills or transfer stations to avoid the costs of a curbside collection program. Curbside collection is more expensive than drop-off but typically garners higher participation and diversion rates. The higher operational costs of curbside collection programs can be offset by:
 Decreased disposal costs (tipping fees);

 Increased landfill life; and
 Potential revenue from compost and/or mulch sales.
Yard trimmings collection programs might occur seasonally or by request depending on where you live.
Food waste
Food waste is any food substance, raw or cooked, which is discarded, or intended or required to be discarded. Food wastes are the organic residues generated by the handling, storage, sale, preparation, cooking, and serving of foods.
Food waste includes uneaten food and food preparation scraps from residences or households, commercial establishments like restaurants grocery stores, and cafeterias.
Wood waste
Nearly six million tons of wood waste (e.g., urban wood waste, woody debris from suburban land clearing, and rural forestry residuals) were generated in 2003 according to the EPA. In fact, wood comprises the largest percentage of the residential construction and demolition materials (C&D) waste stream – approximately 40 to 50 percent of residential new construction materials – according to the National Association of Home Builders Research
Center.
Prior to 1990, there was limited recycling of wood waste in the United States. Today, EPA estimates there are more than 500 wood processing facilities across the country.
Markets for recovered wood vary across the United States according to regional and local supply and demand. The current market, however, is dominated by mulch and fuel applications that pay between $12 and $24 per ton for processed wood. Wood waste from construction and demolition activities is attractive as a fuel because of its low moisture content. Processed or chipped wood is also used as a composting bulk agent and as animal bedding. Salvaged or reused wood products are the highest value items but typically require the highest costs for sorting and processing. In addition, recovered wood can be used to manufacturer value-added products such as medium density fiberboard and particleboard; these manufacturers demand high-quality feed stocks, however, which can be difficult to achieve on a consistent basis.
The demolition industry is well established and is increasing its efforts to recover wood waste.
In addition, the deconstruction industry continues to grow and salvage an increasing percentage of materials from old buildings. Deconstruction efforts recover and reuse wood for flooring, doors, windows, and other applications. A number of independent lumber mills have retooled their operations to process reclaimed timbers, as well.

Federal and local air and water regulations provide an incentive for wood recovery by discouraging inappropriate burning or discarding of woody debris. A major barrier to increased wood recovery, however, is the lack of grade standards for recovered wood. These standards include grading rules, engineering properties, and a grade stamp. There is also a need for technical performance testing to investigate the structural integrity of recovered wood.
HAZARDOUS WASTE
Hazardous waste is a waste with properties that make it dangerous or potentially harmful to human health or the environment.
Many industrial hazardous wastes can be recycled safely and effectively. A hazardous waste is recycled if it is used, reused, or reclaimed. Furthermore, RCRA hazardous waste regulation makes an important distinction between materials that are used or reused without reclamation and those that must be reclaimed before reuse. A material is reclaimed if it is processed to recover a usable product, or if it is regenerated. Common hazardous waste reclamation activities involve recovery of spent solvents (e.g., recovery of acetone) or metals (e.g., recovery of lead). An example of a material that is reused without reclamation is emission control dust returned directly to a primary zinc smelting furnace.
EPA and States collect and report data on hazardous waste recycling as part of the National
Biennial Report , which provides data on the generation, management, and final disposition of hazardous wastes regulated under RCRA. In 2007, about 1.8 million tons of hazardous wastes were managed by recycling (metals, solvent, or other recovery). This amount is just under five percent of all hazardous waste managed in 2007. The table below shows the tons of hazardous waste managed through recycling in 2007 as reported to the National Biennial Report by facilities receiving waste for management.
Tons of Hazardous Waste Recycled in 2007 *
Recycling Management Method Tons Managed Percentage of Total Managed
METALS RECOVERY 1,116,000 2.8%
OTHER RECOVERY
SOLVENTS RECOVERY
335,000
328,000
0.8%
0.8%
Total Recycled
Total Managed
1,779,000 4.4%
39,580,000 100%

Hazardous waste reuse, recycling, and reclamation can avoid environmental hazards, protect scarce natural resources, provide economic benefits, and reduce the nation's reliance on raw materials and energy.
Environmental Benefits
Recycling hazardous waste fulfills two of RCRA's goals by reducing the consumption of raw materials and by reducing the volume of waste materials that must be treated and disposed of.
Recycling hazardous waste can mean less air, water, and soil pollution associated with the extraction, refining, and processing of raw materials. Recycling also can reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). When hazardous wastes are recycled, less energy is needed to extract, transport, and process raw materials and to manufacture products. And, when energy demand decreases, fewer fossil fuels are burned and less carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere. Emissions of other air pollutants can be reduced, too, as recycling hazardous waste can decrease releases of air toxics from waste incineration.
Economic Benefits
Not only can hazardous waste recycling be good for the environment, it can also be good for the bottom line. Recycling hazardous waste can increase production efficiency and reduce costs associated with purchasing raw materials and waste management. By recycling hazardous materials, a business may be able to eliminate the generation of hazardous waste and avoid RCRA regulatory requirements altogether. A business may also benefit from the positive or "green" image associated with hazardous waste recycling efforts For example, a company who values strong corporate stewardship can increase goodwill with shareholders and consumers and further distinguish itself from its competitors.

"E-waste" is short for electronic waste. E-waste is basically any electronic device including cell phones, ink cartridges, iPods, cameras, televisions, computer monitors, computers, printers, computer peripherals, copiers, fax machines, DVD players, gaming systems, radios, and stereos. Even batteries!
E-waste contains hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, beryllium, cadmium, and chromium. Other than the fact that E-waste is illegal to dump in
California, the toxic chemicals originating from E-waste can be found in the food we eat, the air we breathe, and even the water we drink leading to serious health complications if E-waste is not diposed of properly.
http://www.ecyclegroup.org
The large variation in size and type of batteries makes their recycling extremely difficult: they must first be sorted into similar kinds and each kind requires an individual recycling process.
Additionally, older batteries contain mercury and cadmium, harmful materials which must be handled with care.
Biodegradable waste can be recycled into useful material by biological decomposition. There are two mechanisms by which this can occur. The most common mechanism of recycling of household organic waste is home composting or municipal kerbside collection of green wastes sent to large scale composting plants.
Alternatively organic waste can be converted into biogas and soil improver using anaerobic digestion. Here organic wastes are broken down by anaerobic microorganisms in biogas plants. The biogas can be converted into renewable electricity or burnt for environmentally friendly heating. Advanced technologies such as mechanical biological treatment are able to sort the recyclable elements of the waste out before biological treatment by either composting, anaerobic digestion or biodrying.
The direct disposal of electrical equipment—such as old computers and mobile phones is banned in many areas due to the toxic contents of certain components. The recycling process works by mechanically separating the metals, plastics and circuit boards contained in the appliance. When this is done on a large scale at an electronic waste recycling plant, component recovery can be achieved in a cost-effective manner.

Electronic devices, including audio-visual components (televisions, VCRs, stereo equipment), mobile phones and other hand-held devices, and computer components, contain valuable elements and substances suitable for reclamation, including lead, copper, and gold. They also contain a plethora of toxic substances such as dioxins, PCBs, cadmium, chromium, radioactive isotopes, and mercury. Additionally, the processing required to reclaim the precious substances (including incineration and acid treatments) release, generate and synthesize further toxic byproducts.
In the United States, an estimated 70% of heavy metals in landfills come from discarded electronics. Some regional governments are attempting to curtail the accumulation of electronics in landfills by passing laws obligating manufacturers and consumers to recycle these devices, but because in many cases safe dismantlement of these devices in accordance with first world safety standards is unprofitable, historically much of the electronic waste has been shipped to countries with lower or less rigorously-enforced safety protocols. Places like
Guiyu, China dismantle tonnes of electronics every year, profiting from the sale of precious metals, but at the cost of the local environment and the health of its residents.
Mining to produce the same metals, to meet demand for finished products in the west, also occurs in the same countries, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD) has recommended that restrictions against recycling exports be balanced against the environmental costs of recovering those materials from mining. Hard rock mining in the
USA produces 45% of all toxics produced by all USA industries (2001 US EPA Toxics
Release Inventory).
Printer ink cartridges can be recycled. They are sorted into different brands and models which are then resold back to the companies that created these cartridges. The companies then refill the ink reservoir which can be sold back to consumers. Toner cartridges are recycled the same way as ink cartridges, using toner instead of ink. This method of recycling is highly efficient as there is no energy spent on melting and recreating the recycled object itself.
Iron and steel are the world's most recycled materials, and among the easiest materials to recycle, as they can be separated magnetically from the waste stream. Recycling is via a steelworks: scrap is either remelted in an Electric Arc Furnace (90-100% scrap), or used as part of the charge in a Basic Oxygen Furnace (around 25% scrap). Any grade of steel can be recycled to top quality new metal, with no 'downgrading' from prime to lower quality materials as steel is recycled repeatedly. 42% of crude steel produced is recycled material.
Aluminium is shredded and ground into small pieces. These pieces are melted in an aluminium smelter to produce molten aluminium. By this stage the recycled aluminium is indistinguishable from virgin aluminium and further processing is identical for both.
Due to the large amount of energy required to extract aluminum from ore and it's low melting point, the environmental benefits of recycling aluminium are enormous. Approximately 5% of the CO2 is produced during the recycling process compared to producing raw aluminium (and

an even smaller percentage when considering the complete cycle of mining and transporting the aluminium). Also, as open-cut mining most often used for obtaining aluminium ore, mining destroys large sections of natural land.
For example, an aluminium can is 100% recyclable every time it is recycled, it saves enough energy to watch television for about three hours (compared to mining and producing a new can).
Glass bottles and jars are gathered via curbside collection schemes and bottle banks, where the glass is sorted into color categories. The collected glass cullet is taken to a glass recycling plant where it is monitored for purity and contaminants are removed. The cullet is crushed and added to a raw material mix in a melting furnace. It is then mechanically blown or molded into new jars or bottles. Glass cullet is also used in the construction industry for aggregate and glassphalt. Glassphalt is a road-laying material which comprises around 30% recycled glass. Glass can be recycled indefinitely as its structure does not deteriorate when reprocessed.
Recycled paper is made from waste paper, usually mixed with fresh wood pulp. If the paper contains ink, it must be deinked. This also removes fillers, clays, and fiber fragments.
Almost all paper can be recycled today, but some types are harder to recycle than others.
Kraft paper, papers coated with plastic or aluminum foil, and papers that are waxed, pasted, or gummed are usually not recycled because the process is too expensive. Different types of paper are usually sorted before recycling, such as newspapers and cardboard boxes.
Different grades of paper are recycled into different types of new products. Old newspapers are usually made into new newsprint, egg cartons, or paperboard. Old corrugated boxes are made into new corrugated boxes or paperboard. High-grade white office paper can be made into almost any new paper product: stationery, newsprint, magazines, or books.
Sometimes recyclers ask for the removal of the glossy inserts from newspapers because they are a different type of paper. Glossy inserts have a heavy clay coating that some paper mills cannot accept. Since the paper is weighed down by the clay coating, a paper mill gets more recyclable fibers from a ton of pure newsprint.
Paper can only be recycled a finite number of times due to the shortening of paper fibers making the material less versatile. Often it will be mixed with a quantity of virgin material, referred to as downcycling. This does not however exclude the material from being used in other processes such as composting or anaerobic digestion, where further value can be extracted from the material in the form of compost or biogas.
Plastic recycling is the process of recovering scrap or waste plastics and reprocessing the material into useful products. Compared to glass or metallic materials, plastic poses unique challenges - because of the massive number of types of plastic, they each carry a resin

identification code, and must be sorted before they can be recycled. This can be costly - while metals can be sorted using electromagnets, no such 'easy sorting' capability exists for plastics.
In addition to this, while labels do not need to be removed from bottles for recycling, lids are often made from a different kind of non-recyclable plastic.
Plastics recycling rates lag far behind those of other items, such as newspaper and aluminium; consumers are typically unsure of how to recycle plastics, and compared to paper and metals fewer recycling facilities exist.
Finally, recycled plastic is less appealing to manufacturers than new plastic.
A form of metal recovery associated to recycling is "shipbreaking". This is the process of breaking a ship into smaller, recyclable pieces of metal. It often has a number of major drawbacks to the local community and the local environment where shipbreaking occurs.
Shipbreaking tends to occur in poor countries where lack of or insufficient safety standards, labor laws and wage agreements makes them a lucrative area for demolition work. India,
Pakistan, Turkey and Bangladesh make up the majority of these countries.
Toxic material in the form of metals, gas, fumes and exhaust often contaminate a large area surrounding the ship breaking yards, including nearby villages and sleeping quarters for the workers, which are commonly placed nearby the yards.
Material such as paint, electrical equipment, wire, anodes and coatings are often burned or simply dumped in the dismantling process. This releases metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic and chromium.
Polychlorinated organic compounds are another source of toxic material that can be found in transformers and cable insulation often burned or dumped in and around the ship breaking yard.
It is believed that many of the social, economical and environmental drawback in shipbreaking could be alleviated greatly by adhering to safe handling of the recycling process, or the ship owner decontaminating the toxins from the ship before it gets sent to be demolished.
When considering textile recycling one must understand what the material consists of. Most textiles are composites of cotton (biodegradable material) and synthetic plastics. The textile's composition will affect its durability and method of recycling.
Workers sort and separate collected textiles into good quality clothing and shoes which can be reused or worn. These sorting facilities are in a trend of being moved from developed countries such as the UK to developing countries.
Damaged textiles are further sorted into grades to make industrial wiping cloths and for use in paper manufacture or material which is suitable for fibre reclamation and filling products. If

textile reprocessors receive wet or soiled clothes however, these may still end up being disposed of in landfill, as the washing and drying facilities are not present at sorting units.
Fibre reclamation mills sort textiles according to fibre type and colour. Colour sorting eliminates the need to re-dye the recycled textiles. The textiles are shredded into "shoddy" fibres and blended with other selected fibres, depending on the intended end use of the recycled yarn. The blended mixture is carded to clean and mix the fibres and spun ready for weaving or knitting. The fibres can also be compressed for mattress production. Textiles sent to the flocking industry are shredded to make filling material for car insulation, roofing felts, loudspeaker cones, panel linings and furniture padding.

These dresses have been exhibited in US during New York Fashion Week. For first dress 350 boxes of food lotion and for second dress 30 copies of the Financial Times were used. http://www.recyclingcenters.org/blog/
Electronic waste is a name given to any piece of electronic equipment that is at the end of its useful life. Some of these products can be resold, refurbished, or dismantled to rescue resalable goods. Others, however, serve no “useful” purpose and are discarded. In 2008, there were 4.6 Billion Pounds of E-waste in the United
States. However, less than 900 million Pounds (19%) of that waste was recycled. Most of it ended up in landfills either in the United States or was shipped to other countries such as
China, India, Malaysia, and Pakistan. http://www.allgreenrecycling.com/e-waste-story/
Recycling statistics:
[17]
 251 million – tons of trash in the United States\
 53.4 – percentage of all paper products recycled in the United States

 32.5 – percentage of total waste that is recycled in the United States
 100 – approximate percentage of increase in total recycling in the United States during the past decade


8,660 – number of curbside recycling programs in the United States in 2006
 8,875 – number of curbside recycling programs in the United States in 2003
95 – percentage of energy saved by recycling an aluminum can, compared with
 manufacturing a new one
 4.6 – pounds of trash per person per day in the United States (most in the world)
1.5 – pounds of recycled materials per person per day in the United States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling_in_the_United_States#Recycling_statistics
Recycling involves processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration ) and water pollution (from landfilling ) by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production.
[1][2]
Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the " Reduce , Reuse , Recycle" waste hierarchy .
Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass , paper , metal , plastic , textiles , and electronics . Although similar in effect, the composting or other reuse of biodegradable waste
– such as food or garden waste – is not typically considered recycling.
[2]
Materials to be recycled are either brought to a collection center or picked up from the curbside, then sorted, cleaned, and reprocessed into new materials bound for manufacturing.
A wide variety of products are now available with recycled content, including:
Paper and paperboard products
Bicycle racks
Retread tires
Wall panels
Oil
Sign posts
Insulation
Garbage bags
Road building materials
Fiberboard
Erasable boards
Furniture
Mulch
Fences and fence posts
Geotextiles
Sign posts
Plastic pipe
Office products

Plastic desk accessories
Wastebaskets
Outdoor benches and tables
Carpeting
Playground equipment
Binders http://www.epa.gov/wastes/partnerships/wastewise/pubs/buy.pdf
Batteries, Plastic, Paper, Glass, Aluminum, Steel, Motor Oil, Tires, Toxics, Refrigerators,
Computer Printers, False Claims, Curbside Recycling Tips
This guide attempts to cover everything an informed consumer should know about commonly recycled materials, in plain no-nonsense terms. Special attention is given to materials that are poorly understood or hard to recycle, like motor oil and rechargeable batteries. Also see our
World's Shortest Comprehensive Recycling Guide .
With a little bit of care much plastic can be recycled, and collection of plastics for recycling is increasing rapidly. Plastic recycling faces one huge problem: plastic types must not be mixed for recycling, yet it is impossible to tell one type from another by sight or touch. Even a small amount of the wrong type of plastic can ruin the melt. The plastic industry has responded to this problem by developing a series of cryptic markers , commonly seen on the bottom of plastic containers. These markers do not mean the plastic can be recycled , these makers do not mean the container uses recycled plastic . Despite the confusing use of the chasing arrow symbol, these markers only identify the plastic type.
Virtually everything made of plastic should be marked with a code. Not all types can actually be recycled. Types 1 and 2 are widely accepted in container form, and type 4 is sometimes accepted in bag form. Code 7 is for mixed or layered plastic with little recycling potential .
You should place in your bin only those types of plastic listed by your local recycling agency!
Due to fluctuating market conditions, some colors or shapes may be useless to the recycling agency.
For decades, the #5 cups have been the bane of the good home recycler. The cups are hard to avoid buying, and mostly useless for

recycling. Many curbside collection programs won't complain if these are placed in a bin, but they won't recycle them either.
Finally there is a good option for some people. Preserve Products offers pickup at select
Whole Foods Locations . Simply stack your containers until you have enough to justify the trip.
All plastic containers you purchase should be marked with a large and clear recycling code
(C) . This code must be molded into the plastic and located on the bottom surface of the container. Ideally the entire container should be made of the same plastic to avoid confusion, but often the caps are of a different type. Caps should be separately marked, but few are (B) .
Note that most caps are NOT of the same type as the bottle they sit on.
These are great to reuse. Not only do you save a new bag, but your old bags don't smell like chemicals (the 'plastic bag smell' is mostly plasticizer chemicals that outgas from the bags).
Plastic grocery and produce sacks are commonly, but not always, made from plastic types 2 or
4. These bags are often collected in barrels at grocery stores, and usually end up as plastic lumber. Collection is not particularly profitable.
Any product made of a single plastic type should be marked -- after all the product may one day break or be replaced. This includes toys, plastic hangars, trash cans, shelves, baskets, rain ponchos, and many other products (B) . Many products, such as compact discs, video tapes, and computer discs, are made from mixed materials which can't be recycled unless first disassembled.
Glass, steel (or "tin") and aluminum are easy to recognize and recycle. For clarity, a recycling symbol should be present, but most people have little trouble sorting these materials. Glass bottles must not be mixed with other types of glass such as windows, light bulbs, mirrors, glass tableware, Pyrex or auto glass. Ceramics contaminate glass and are difficult to sort out.
Clear glass is the most valuable. Mixed color glass is near worthless, and broken glass is hard to sort.
There have been marketing experiments with plastic and steel cans that look exactly like aluminum cans. Recycling plants have been damaged by these fakes. The distinctive shape of an aluminum beverage can must be reserved for aluminum beverage cans only (C) .
It is no longer necessary to remove labels for recycling. To save water, clean only enough to prevent odors. Unlike with plastics, the high temperature of glass and metal processing deals easily with contamination.

Scrap aluminum is accepted in many places. Other metals are rarely accepted.
The square boxes used for liquids are called "Aseptics", the most common brand of which is
"Tetra Pak". Aseptics are made from complex layers of plastic, metal and paper. The aseptic industry has spent millions in public education on the issue of aseptic recycling, including distribution of classroom guides and posters like "Drink Boxes are as Good on the Outside as
They are on the Inside" and "A Day in the Life of a Drink Box". The actual recycling process, unfortunately, is very expensive and awkward, and is therefore only available in a very few places. Coca-Cola maintains a list of aseptic recyclers, call 1-800-888-6488 for information.
Because of the difficulties, only an insignificant fraction of aseptic packages are currently recycled.
Most types of paper can be recycled. Newspapers have been recycled profitably for decades, and recycling of other paper is growing. Virgin paper pulp prices have soared in recent years prompting construction of more plants capable of using waste paper. They key to recycling is collecting large quantities of clean, well-sorted, uncontaminated and dry paper.
50% recycled paper,
35% post-consumer.
Soy-based inks.
It is important to know what you are buying in a paper product, for that reason virtually all paper products should be marked with the percentage and type of recycled content, as above
(C) . Just saying "recycled paper" is not enough. "Recycled paper" could mean anything from
100% true recycled paper to 1% re-manufactured ends of large paper rolls. "Post-consumer" means the paper that you and I return to recycling centers. From a recycling point of view, the more "post-consumer" paper the better. Soybean-based inks are gaining favor as a renewable alternative to harsh and toxic petrochemical inks.
One of the highest grades of paper is white office paper. Acceptable are clean white sheets from the likes of laser printers and copy machines. Colored, contaminated, or lower grade paper is not acceptable. The wrappers the paper comes in are of lower grade, and not acceptable. Staples are OK. White office paper may be downgraded, and recycled with mixed paper.

In areas that don't take cardboard from consumers, one can often drop boxes off at a supermarket or other high volume business. Contaminated cardboard, like greasy pizza boxes, is not acceptable. In some areas cardboard must be free of tape, but staples are always OK.
Newspaper is widely available and of uniform consistency, which makes it valuable. The entire newspaper including inserts acceptable, except for things like plastic, product samples and rubber bands. Newspapers may be stuffed in large brown grocery sacks, or tied with natural-fiber twine. Other brown paper bags may be mixed with newspaper.
Some phone books are made with a special glue that breaks down in water, while other phone books use a glue that interferes with recycling. Printed in your phone book should be information on the source and type of paper used, the nature of the binding, and where locally phone books can be recycled (C) . Note that many phone companies continue to use virgin rain forest to produce directories. In many communities phone books are only accepted during the time new directories are distributed.
Milk cartons are plastic laminated inside, even if they don't have a plastic spout. (C) .
Mixed paper is a catch-all for types of paper not specifically mentioned above. Everything you can imagine from magazines to packaging is acceptable. The paper must still be clean, dry, and free of food, most plastic, wax, and other contamination. Staples are OK.
Remove plastic wrap, stickers, product samples, and those pointless "membership" cards, and most junk mail can be recycled as mixed paper. Due to new technology, plastic window envelopes and staples are generally OK.
Paper that can't be recycled as normal "mixed paper" includes: food contaminated paper, waxed paper, waxed cardboard milk & juice containers, oil soaked paper, carbon paper, sanitary products or tissues, thermal fax paper, stickers and plastic laminated paper such as fast food wrappers, juice boxes, and pet food bags.
Paper with any sort of contamination or plastic layers can't be recycled. Plastic laminated paper is bad for recycling plants; such paper should be clearly marked (A) .

Most older refrigeration equipment contains freon, a chemical know as a
Chlorinated Fluorocarbon or "CFC" for short. Each molecule of a CFC can destroy over 100,000 molecules of the earth's protective ozone coating, leading to increased risk of sunburn, cataracts and skin cancer for the entire population of the planet (human AND animal).
If you are throwing away an old refrigerator, heat pump or air conditioner please be sure the
CFC's are drained out and recycled first. Use only a hauler who will perform this important service -- call and ask before you let them take your old equipment away. Before having your car's air conditioner serviced, ask what the shop does with the freon. Never allow a leaking refrigeration system to be recharged.
A number of international treaties, federal and state laws govern the use of CFC's. Handlers of refrigeration equipment can get information on laws and recycling equipment from the
American Refrigeration Institute
Once recommended for the trash, increasingly these batteries are collected. Not that they are actually recycled: often they are simply put in a more expensive landfill. The State of
California mandates recycling of such batteries.
With the invention of "low self discharge" or "precharged" NiMH batteries, single use batteries are all but obsolete. A leading "low discharge" brand is the Sanyo Eneloop , costing less than 3 times that of a typical single use battery. Investing in a "smart" charger is a must for the best battery life. Shop for models with microprocessor control (not a timer), and the ability to charge each battery individually (not two or four at a time). A good comparison and shopping site is www.greenbatteries.com
.
Rechargeable batteries are commonly used in portable telephones, computers, power tools, shavers, electric toothbrushes, radios, video tape recorders and other consumer products.
There are a variety of different battery types, some of which contain quite toxic materials.
The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation ( RBRC ) is an industry funded group promoting battery recycling. Manufacturers pay a fee to use the logo shown to the right, and to support the costs of the eventual collection of the batteries they sell. Look for (and even insist on seeing) the RBRC logo on rechargeable batteries you buy.
For a nearby drop-off location:


Call 1-800-8BATTERY .
 Visit the RBRC drop of location finder .
Try your local Radio Shack store.

Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion), and Small
Sealed Lead (Pb) batteries can all be recycled. Several states now prohibit consumers from dumping rechargeable batteries into the normal trash. Nickel-Cadmium rechargeable batteries
("NiCads") contain cadmium , a metal that causes blood and reproductive damage , among other problems. Most of the Cadmium in our waste stream comes from batteries. These batteries pose little hazard in use (the Cadmium is in a stable form), but are a danger in landfills.
Worn-out batteries are often easily replaced. While many batteries are custom shapes (just you so have to buy a special battery) the chemistry inside is identical. A clever repairperson can replace just about any rechargeable battery.
All three of these products are big environmental problems, but all three are easily recycled.
Used motor oil contains heavy metals and other toxic substances, and is considered hazardous waste. Each year do-it-yourself oil changers improperly dump more oil than the tanker Exxon
Valdez spilled into Alaska's Prince William Sound. One quart of oil can kill fish in thousands of gallons of water. Motor oil containers should mention the danger of used oil to humans and the environment (C) .
Motor oil must never be dumped in storm drains; storm drains flow *untreated* into rivers, lakes or oceans. Your quart of oil *does* make a difference - don't dump it.
Recycling used motor oil is easy. Typically you used oil into a plastic milk jug and clearly mark it "used motor oil". The following should help you find a location to take the oil. Please drop off oil during regular business hours only:
 Call your local garbage, recycling or toxics agency for a referral.
 In California - Call 1-800-CLEAN-UP for locations.
 Many quick-lube shops take oil (the industry association encourages it): o o
Jiffy Lube - (Contact any Jiffy Lube Station nationwide).
Valvoline Instant Oil Change Centers - (Contact any Valvoline
Station)(Valvoline's First Recovery Service, however, was sold to Safety

Klean).
Many auto stores take oil, including Grand Auto, R&S Strauss, Pep-Boys and Wal-
Mart. Some states have laws requiring any business that sells oil to take used oil back from consumers.
Antifreeze contaminates motor oil - do not mix the two. If your car has blown a gasket and you are draining the oil, mark it clearly as potentially contaminated and treat it as nonrecyclable household waste (see below). Never mix anything with used motor oil. Never place used oil in a container that has contained other chemicals.
You normally must pay a fee to dispose of a tire (usually $1-$5), but it is worth it. Improperly disposed tires tend to rise to the top of landfills, breed mosquitoes, transit disease when traded globally, and burn when stacked in large piles.

Your old car battery might be worth money. Even if not, any car parts shop will take it.
Most printer cartridges are easily recycled, refilled or re-built. But printer vendors sell the printer cheap, and make their real money selling supplies. They don't want you be environmental.
The "right" environmental solution is to sell new cartridges with a postage paid mailer for returning the old one. Some forward-thinking companies, such as Hewlett-Packard, have been known to do this, especially for laser printers (A) . Sometimes you can find free envelopes for donating cartridges to a refiller, but don't bother with refill kits. They may save money, but they are messy, and you use as much plastic as a new cartridge.
To make a difference, buy recycled paper for your printer (because of the fine grain, it can look better than regular sliced trees). Grab piles of "blank on one side" paper from work, and use the other side. And always buy recycled. See The Yahoo! Recycled Printer Supplies
Listing .
Encourage your company to buy a printer with duplexing (two sided printing), and to hire a company to take away waste paper regularly. WARNING: You may have a recycle bin at your company. Stay a little late one night and ask the cleaning people where it goes. You may be in for a shock.
It may seem strange to see the word compost on a recycling page, but compost is just recycled plant matter. Food and yard scraps placed in a special bin are converted into valuable garden soil in a matter of weeks.
Compost bins are available at garden stores & nurseries. Composting can easily reduce by half the volume of material a household sends to a landfill. If you don't care about accelerating the processing, just keep adding material at the top. Just try to keep a balance of dry "brown" materials and fresh "green" material. For more technical information, try visiting the On-line Composting Center .
Lots of things you'd otherwise throw away can be composted, including wine bottle corks, cooking oils, certain types of foam packing peanuts, used paper towels, dryer lint, etc. If it is natural, you can probably compost it without trouble!
Individuals tend to be very sloppy when it comes to handling toxic materials in the home.
Individuals often handle toxic chemicals in ways businesses would be fined for. The heaviest application of agricultural chemicals in the USA comes not from agribusiness, but rather from

home gardeners. Indoor air pollution from household products is often found to exceed allowable federal outdoor quality rules.
Items such as poisons, paints, oil, solvents, automotive fluids, cleaners, herbicides and many others must not be dumped into the regular garbage. Water seeps through landfills and toxics end up in the water table. In areas that burn garbage, your toxics may end up in the air you breathe. The best thing to do is use what you buy, buy only what you need.
If you have accumulated toxics, check with your garbage company or local recycling agency -
- almost all areas have household toxics drop-off days or locations.
Chemicals must must never be dumped in storm drains; such drains typically flow
*untreated* into rivers, lakes or oceans.
How can one be sure that stated environmental claims are actually true? Manufacturers have been known to make misleading, trivial, irrelevant and false statements on packaging.
Statements like "recycled" or "earth friendly" are so vague as to have no practical meaning.
The more specific a claim, the easier it is verify.
Several prominent independent certification laboratories exist to verify environmental claims.
Only products meeting the standards of the organization may display the logos shown here.
For more information click on the logos. For the federal government perspective, try the FTC
Environmental Guidelines .


Favor products with a high recycled content, even if they cost a little more.


Reduce the volume of packaging you buy, reuse what you can, and recycle the rest.
 Tell the clerk "I don't need a bag".
Use your own reusable canvas bag or backpack at the store.
Buy quality products and keep them for a lifetime.
Communities required to recycle must have curbside collection programs for at least three materials from the following list:


Clear glass containers
Colored glass containers

 High-grade office paper
 Newsprint
 Corrugated paper (cardboard)


Aluminum cans
 Steel and bi-metallic cans
Plastics
Most curbside recycling programs collect four or more of these materials. Also, leaves twigs, and garden trimmings must be separated for composting (a process that produces a mulch).
These materials take up valuable space in landfills and can interfere with the burning process in waste incinerators.
Individuals can and should recycle waste oil and automotive batteries that result from do-ityourself auto maintenance activities.
In communities where recycling is required, all commercial, institutional, and municipal establishments and sponsors of community activities (such as fairs, bazaars, concerts and organized sporting events) must recycle aluminum, high-grade office paper, corrugated paper and leaves.
The summary chart shows what can and cannot be recycled, but a little bit of background on recycling might help. Please contact your local or county recycling coordinator to confirm which materials are included in your recycling program and how they should be prepared for collection.
Glass is completely recyclable and saves precious energy resources. Making products from recycled glass uses less energy than starting from scratch. Recycled glass is made into new beverage bottles, food jars, insulation and other construction materials.
Usually, clear glass containers are recycled into new clear glass products, while colored glass containers are recycled into new colored glass products. For this reason, some recycling programs may ask you to separate glass containers by color. Many curbside recycling programs will collect clear and colored glass containers and separate them for you. Since food in containers can attract insects, rinse them in water. Labels do not need to be removed. Some recycling programs will ask that lids and metal rings around the necks of containers be removed. DO NOT include window glass, ceramics, light bulbs or ovenware, because these items can damage a glass manufacturer's furnace.
Newspapers are commonly recycled into paperboard, new newsprint, insulation and animal bedding products. Recycling newspapers saves valuable space in landfills. Put newspapers in paper bags or tie in bundles with string. In general, you can include any inserts
(advertisements, comics) originally delivered with the paper.

Office paper can be recycled into other writing paper, tissue and towel products.
Corrugated paper (commonly known as corrugated cardboard) is used to make new paperboard and corrugated boxes. Some programs are now recycling magazines, catalogs, telephone directories and unwanted "junk" mail. These materials should be handled in the same way as newsprint: store in paper bags or tie in bundles.
Aluminum is the most valuable of household recyclables. Aluminum cans are recycled to produce new aluminum cans. By recycling aluminum cans, you are helping to conserve energy. To make sure that a can is aluminum, use a magnet and see that it DOES NOT stick to the can's top and sides. Rinse the cans to prevent attracting insects and crush them if you need to save space.
Other sources of household aluminum such as clean aluminum foil, clean pie tins, aluminum siding, and the metal frames of aluminum lawn furniture also can be recycled. These items, however, may not be accepted by your local program or may require special handling. Check with your local recycling program.
Steel cans are eagerly sought by the steel industry because they are a good source of steel scrap and their tin coating also can be recovered and recycled. A magnet sticks to steel cans.
You might want to flatten food and beverage cans to save space. As with other recyclable containers, they should be rinsed. Many recycling programs also collect empty steel aerosol cans and paint cans.
The plastics industry has developed a coding system to help consumers identify different types of plastic resins used in packaging. The codes can be found on the bottom of most plastic containers. Of the many types of plastics used in packaging, two types of plastic from household trash are commonly recycled today:
Plastic Soda Bottles: The material used to make plastic soda bottles (polythylene terephthalate or PET) is recyclable. These bottles are coded with the number 1 and the letters
PETE. About 30 percent of all PET bottles sold are recycled into a variety of products. The bottles you recycle could end up as carpet backing, sleeping bag insulation, containers for non-food items, tool handles, auto parts and even clothing. Rinse, remove caps and rings, and flatten bottles to save space.
Plastic Milk Jugs: The plastic used in one-gallon milk and water jugs (high density polyethylene or HDPE) is also recycled to make products such as trash cans, flower pots and plastic pipe. Your recycling program may also accept other HDPE containers such as those sued for laundry products. These containers are coded with the number 2 and the letters
HDPE. As with other containers, rinse and flatten them to save space.
Recycling opportunities for other plastic products, including plastic foam cups and plastic cutlery, are expanding. It is important that you recycle only those types of plastics that your community or hauler specifies.

Anyone who has done yard work knows that leaves, twigs and trimmings take up a lot of space. As a result, the recycling law requires counties to make a plan for disposing of this waste in a way that doesn't take up valuable landfill space. Luckily, leaves and yard debris quickly reduce in volume if composted or allowed to degrade into a rich mulch that is an excellent plant fertilizer. You can compost in your own backyard or at a central composting site in some locations. Contact your local recycling program or county recycling coordinator for more information.
Pennsylvania produces about 35 million gallons of used lubricating oil every year. People who change their own motor oil produce 11 million gallons of used lubricating oil each year.
If this oil is dumped into sewers, soil or streams, it can pollute the water that we drink.
Fortunately, used motor oil can be recycled into heating fuel, industrial lubricants and even new motor oil. Your role is simple: store the oil in a sturdy container and take it to an auto repair shop that accepts used oil. To find the shop closest to you, check the list of used oil recyclers in your county or call the Pennsylvania Recycling Hotline
1­800­346­4242 or check Earth911.org
It's against the law to dispose of a car (lead-acid) battery with your household trash. This type of battery is recyclable and must be taken to a recycling center that takes batteries or an automotive battery retailer in exchange for a new one.
United States recycling statistics have vastly improved each year since the first U.S. recycling center opened its doors in 1896; but the U.S. still has a long way to go before it hits a perfect recycling stride.
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Something important to know when talking about recycling is MSW, or municipal solid waste. Basically, MSW is trash.
MSW that is computed into the The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recycling figures includes common household throw-away items such as food scraps, package wrapping, grass clippings, and even bigger items like an old microwave, sofa, or refrigerator. MSW that is not taken into account when recycling statistics are computed are items such as hazardous, industrial, and construction waste.
The EPA gives mixed results about household MSW. They report that while the U.S. is experiencing sustained improvements in waste reduction, the overall bulk of MSW the U.S. creates continues to rise. From 1980 to 2005, the U.S. MSW generation increased 60 percent! That’s a grand total of 246 million tons of trash created in 2005.
Luckily, that 246 million tons of MSW was computed before the recycling statistics were tabulated.
T here’s one more piece of good news about MSW. Although Americans generated 246 million tons of MSW in
2005, that figure is 2 million tons smaller than the figure of MSW generated in 2004
– so a fair drop in MSW occurred in one year’s time.
It’s good to note that if you visit the EPA, or another recycling website, you may see the term “Recovery” used in place of recycling; but they’re fairly interchangeable when discussing statistics. The (EPA) only updates recycling statistics every few years.
The last time they computed the national recycling figures was in 2005, for which the EPA shares the following
United States recycling statistics:
Overall data from 2005 concluded that recycling trends were positively increased from 2003 (the last time statistics were figured).
Recycling and composting rates recovered 32.1 percent of MSW or 79 million tons. But this figure, you will recall, does not include hazardous, industrial, and construction waste. 32.1 percent is higher than before but still way too low.
Approximately 8,550 curbside recycling programs existed throughout the United States, a lower figure than the 8,875 programs that existed in 2003.
Composting programs, meaning that people recycle leaves and grass
, and other organic items such as food, jumped from 3,227 in 2003 up to 3,470. For more details about how you can compost, read
Building a Compost Bin
.
Container and packaging recycling increased to 40 percent.
62 percent of yard waste was composted, which is a good percentage.
50 percent of all paper products were recycled -- or about 42 million tons.
From 1990 to 2005, the amount of MSW going to U.S. landfills has decreased by 9 million tons and continues to decrease each year. However, U.S. goals should and do continue to address the fact that these figures can be improved.

“My state’s better than your state,” should be the goal for each and every U.S. state. Childish? Maybe -- but drastic measures are necessary to curb the landfill and trash issues that the U.S. is facing. Make it your personal goal to see that your state not only stacks up, but surpasses other states in recycling trends.
Some states are already far ahead other states on the recycling curve. In Portland, Oregon, for instance, it’s surprising not to see curbside recycling bins -- while in Albuquerque, New Mexico it can be surprising to actually find someone who knows what recycling is, because of the sheer lack of curbside recycling programs available.
Some states currently offer well-used electronic recycling programs and others need to start them up. One of the best ways to get people to recycle drink bottles is to create bottle deposit regulations, but states differ on this.
Using the same two states above, Oregon has a bottle deposit where you receive five cents back for each bottle you take to a deposit facility. The recycling areas for Oregon are everywhere and are easily accessible in places such as grocery stores.
Gallup, New Mexico has a recycling program for plastic bottles where you’re paid one cent for each pound of plastic bottles you recycle. The payment per pound for recyclables in Gallup is consistent with the rest of the states' recycling centers. You can take an entire van stuffed, as full as possible, with shredded paper to a local center in Albuquerque, and receive only three dollars for your time and effort. Which state do you think has better recycling rates? http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/United_States_Recycling_Statistics www.calrecycle.ca.gov

• Discovered in the 1820s, aluminum is the most abundant metal on the planet!
• It can take up to 500 years for an aluminum can to decompose in our landfills (or dumps).
• Americans throw away enough aluminum every three months to rebuild our country’s entire commercial air fleet.
• Throwing away one aluminum can wastes as much energy as pouring out half of that can’s volume of gasoline!
• Nearly 120,000 cans are recycled every minute nationwide!
• Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to burn a 100watt light bulb for nearly four hours or run a television for three hours.
• Aluminum cans can be recycled into new soda and beverage cans, pie plates, thumbtacks, aluminum foil and even license plates!
• An aluminum beverage can returns to the grocer’s shelf as a new, filled can in as little as
90 days after collection, re-melting, rolling, manufacturing, and distribution. That means you could buy basically the same recycled aluminum can from a grocer’s shelf every
13 weeks, or 4 times a year.

You can take your aluminum soda cans to a recycling center or leave them in recycling bins at your curb (if you have curbside service).
2)
The aluminum cans are transported to a processing facility where they are washed, shredded and melted.
3)
The liquid aluminum is poured into molds that make them into blocks, called ingots.
4)
The ingots are taken to a can-making factory and melted into rolls of flat sheets of aluminum (similar to thick foil). Ingots are also sold to manufacturers of aluminum products who melt them down for molding into new products.
5)
The sheets of aluminum are cut and shaped into aluminum cans, inspected and shipped to companies to make drink containers.
2
3
5
Did you know? If you didn’t recycle your aluminum can, and threw it away in the garbage, which goes to the dump, it could take up to 500

years for it to decompose
(or break down)?
That sure is a long time! Recycling is the right choice to help save our Earth!
4
• The oldest known examples of glass are Egyptian beads dating from
12,000 B.C.
• All newly purchased glass food jars contain at least 35% recycled glass.
• Since 1980, the average weight of a glass container has been reduced by more than 10%.
• One million years is how long it takes glass to break down naturally
(that’s a long time!) Glass is only broken down by weathering and physical crushing or pounding.
• Eight to twelve weeks is how long it takes for a glass container to be recycled and returned to the store shelf.

• 32% of a glass container is post-consumer recycled glass. However, the technology exists to use up to 85% recycled glass!
• One ceramic coffee mug alone in a truckload of glass is enough to contaminate the entire load and cause it to be rejected from recycling.
• The majority of glass recovered in the United States is used to make new glass containers. A portion is also used in fiberglass and “glasphalt” for highway construction.
1)
The glass bottles collected from your curbside bins are taken to the recycling center.
2)
At the recycling center, the glass containers are sorted by color and transported to a processing facility where they are cleaned and crushed into tiny pieces called cullet.
3)
The cullet is transported to a glass manufacturing plant and mixed with sand, soda ash and limestone
(minerals that come out of the ground).
4)
After mixing, the batch is fed into a furnace and is melted into a thick liquid at temperatures that can reach around 2,800 degrees
Fahrenheit. (Ouch! And you thought walking on the sand at the beach was hot).

5)
The melted glass is dropped into a glass forming machine where it is poured into molds, blown with air and shaped into its final shape such as a soda bottle.
6)
Once the mold is removed, the glass is cooled, inspected and shipped to companies that make drinks and food.
• The PET bottle was patented by Nathaniel Wyeth in 1973.
• The first PET bottle was recycled in 1977.
• In 1960, a one-gallon plastic milk container weighed 120 grams. Today, it weighs just 65 grams.
• 10% of the average grocery bill pays for packaging (mostly paper and plastics).
• Recycling a ton of PET containers can save 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space.
• Every year, Americans make enough plastic film to shrink-wrap the state of Texas.

• Recycled PET can be used to make many new products, such as carpet, fabric for
T-shirts, shoes, sweaters and coats, luggage, fiberfill for sleeping bags and even toys!
Plastic containers are brought to the recycling center where they are sorted by type and sometimes color.
They are crushed together and formed into a huge cube or bale.
2)
The bales of plastic are shipped to a plastics processing plant.
3)
The plastic is broken apart and shredded into flakes or pellets and then cleaned.
4)
The flakes or pellets are shipped to manufacturers of plastic goods.
5)
The manufacturer melts the plastic flakes or pellets down for molding into new products like:
• fiberfill for sleeping bags
• plastic lumber
• containers for non-food products
• toys
• compost bins
• rulers
.
• T-shirts
• backpacks

3
4
(Answers
G O I R L A N D F I L L S H O E T Q Q B
M E P W O W T I S F T Q R W K K D R H V
P L A S T I C B O T T L E S F G H G D R
Y R Y Q P G W E J W Y K U A E A D H I A
D P H K H K K H K K I T S Q C R E I E P
O H R H D B E V E R A G E J H B I G O C
F U N G Y N D W O U P N A N O A W L A L
R N D D M A L U M I N U M C L G O A U O
G E V T E O R O I X P F D B U E P S B S
Y B T M Q I F W P S R B T T E A Q S S E
W A V R E C Y C L E M H O F B P N B C T
J O A I I R Y H R R X J U Q A Q J O T H
I K E J M K T X L C A N S Y R R A T H E
X S F D O U Q I S J A R I F R D T T U L
G U R E S O U R C E S V O D E W I L A O
R E D U C E I Q B O L K E Y L U S E M O
E D Y R G W W E A R T H Q V L W Y S J P
Department of Conservation • Division of Recycling
1-800-RECYCLE • www.conservation.ca.gov
.

BATTERY RECYCLİNG
Batteries power many parts of our lives from our mobile phones all the way to our hybrid automobiles. Responsibly recycling these batteries saves natural resources and protects human health through reuse of reclaimed materials and by keeping heavy metals out of landfills and water supplies.