STAGGERING STATISTICS
from New Hanover County’s Solid Waste Incinerator (Wastec) and Landfill
Recycling:
 Recycling ONE aluminum can, can save enough energy to power a television for 3 HOURS!

It takes 90% LESS energy to recycle aluminum cans than it does to make them from raw
material.

Glass can be recycled almost INDEFINATELY!

EVERY Sunday, it takes 75,000 trees to print (only) the New York Times newspaper.

Recycling a stack of newspaper 3 1/2 FEET tall saves ONE TREE from being cut down.

Recycling ONE TON of paper (2,000 lbs.) SAVES 17 trees.

The energy saved from recycling ONE GLASS bottle could operate a 100-watt light bulb for
FOUR HOURS.

Last year more than 39 million appliances were recycled in the United States alone. This
created enough steel to build 160 football stadiums.

Since 1972 enough aluminum cans have been recycled to stretch to the moon 275 times.

EVERYDAY, U.S. papermakers recycle enough paper to fill a train of boxcars 15 miles
long.

For some products, up to HALF the COST (50%) is spent on PACKAGING! Choose
products with less packaging.
What can be made from Recyclables?
 MONEY that is no longer in circulation can be recycled and made into rulers, pens, pencils,
and piggy banks.

The material in five (5) two-liter plastic bottles can be used to make one XL t-shirt or one
square foot of carpet.

MAGAZINES can be recycled into newspapers and paper towels.

PAPER can be recycled to make paper towels, tissues, egg cartons, fruit trays and flowerpots.

SAWDUST can be recycled and used to make paper grocery bags, pencils, corrugated boxes
and other products.
Landfills:
 Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) that is NOT RECYCLED, COMPOSTED, MULCHED,
COMBUSTED, or otherwise SEGREGATED ENDS UP IN THE LANDFILL!

Researchers studying landfills from the 1970s have found cabbages, carrots, and readable
newspapers that have NOT DECOMPOSED! How long will it take your trash to decompose?

There are 3,091 landfills in the United States.
PROOF that we are a WASTEFUL SOCIETY:
 We THROW AWA Y enough iron and steel to continuously supply ALL of the nation's
automakers.

In ONE DAY, Americans THROW AWA Y about 150,000 TONS of packing materials;
enough to FILL 10,000 semi-trucks. If those trucks were lined up end to end, they would
stretch for 120 miles.

Only 6% of the world's population lives in the United States, but we produce HALF of the
WORLD'S garbage.

Americans go through 2.5 million plastic bottles every HOUR.

Americans THROW AWAY enough aluminum every 3 months to rebuild ALL the airplanes
in the United States!

Each year Americans THROW AWAY enough office and writing paper to build a wall 12
feet high stretching from Los Angeles to New York City.

In 1960, the average person THREW AWAY 2.7 pounds of garbage each day. Today, the
average person THROWS A WAY 4.4 pounds of garbage each day.
Waste-to-Energy Plant (WTE):
 The WTE plant provides enough power for 5,000 homes throughout New Hanover County
with electricity generated from burning garbage.

The WTE plant converts WASTE to FUEL and FUEL to ELECTRICITY.
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW):
 ONE GALLON of discharged MOTOR OIL can pollute ONE MILLION GALLONS of
WATER!
 In New Hanover County, one day per year is scheduled for delivery of HHW from residents.
This year will be scheduled soon. For more information: 910-798-4400