Fun Facts About Recycling

Most people understand that recycling is one of the simplest ways they can contribute to protecting the environment. They can collect recyclable materials such as empty cartons, plastic and glass bottles, containers, paper, and metal scraps and sell them to a recycling center. This is one way to earn extra income while ensuring their immediate surroundings are clean and hazard-free. 

Not many people realize that with a bit of effort, the right marketing techniques, and a great industry partner such as Langley Recycling KC, they can make backyard recycling a profitable side hustle. The industry partner can assist them with the right techniques to ensure they will profit from their collected stash. 

Here are some fun facts about recycling.

Cardboard is good

Most manufacturers use corrugated cardboard to store and ship their products to various grocers and resellers. These sellers then recycle most cardboard boxes as they understand that recycling boxes require about 75% less energy to make new ones. Approximately a billion cardboard boxes are used and produced yearly, equating to more than 400 billion square feet of material. A ton of recycled cardboard can save about 9 cubic yards of landfill space and saves about 46 gallons of oil. 

Food waste isn’t funny

Most people will cringe when they find out that about 3,000 lbs. of food get wasted per second. That figure is huge, considering only about five percent of food waste is diverted into landfills. Some countries can produce over 34 million tons food waste annually, which is shameful. Most people can decrease the volume of food waste in the system by composting their food scraps. The process can produce organic fertilizer, which homemakers can use to replenish the soil and make their gardens flourish better. 

Plastics are problematic 

About 2.5 million plastic bottles and waste products are thrown per hour in the United States, and most of these bottles end up in landfills. People must realize that recycling plastic products can save industries about 88% of energy requirements against using new material. The challenge is to increase the approximately 23% volume of plastic waste recycled properly. Businesses can encourage their clients to reuse or recycle plastic bottles to reduce plastic waste. The amount of plastic waste annually can circle the Earth about four times.

Most people don’t realize that recycling one ton of plastic materials saves about 1,000-2,000 gallons of gasoline in production. Typically, people are also surprised that plastic bags take about 1,000 years to decompose properly, and recycling them saves twice the energy needed to burn them in an incinerator. 

Paper is no laughing matter

Statistics state that, on average, each person throws away about 680 lbs. of paper annually. Some researchers also say that recycling one ton of paper products saves about 7,000 gallons of water and can save 17 trees from getting cut. Also, people consume about one billion trees worth of paper products, which is astronomical. 

Endnotes 

Recycling is a good initiative because it can help save the environment, and it doesn’t take much to help out. Most people understand that recycling is one of the best ways to pitch in to make the Earth a better place to live.