America Recycles Day, November 15, 2005
Our country produces almost 240 million tons of municipal solid waste every year-- approximately 4 ½ pounds of waste per person per day, most of which is recyclable. Recycling has environmental benefits at every stage in the life cycle of a consumer product-from the raw material that it's made with, to the final method of disposal. When we recycle, we:- conserve energy and natural resources,
- provide feedstock for key domestic industries,
- reduce air and water pollution, and
- cut greenhouse gas emissions.
It's important to change the way we think about waste-to see the value of a used material as a product or commodity, not as a waste. You can do that on November 15, 2005, by participating in America Recycles Day . When you do, we hope you'll begin to understand your impact on our environment-whether you're reading today's newspaper, eating lunch, grabbing a bottle of water, or mailing a package. All the materials we use, and actions we take, in our daily lives affect our environment in some way. By committing ourselves to reduce more waste, to reuse and recycle more materials, to buy more recycled and recyclable products, and to reduce toxic chemicals in products and waste, we conserve energy and preserve natural resources.
| Did You Know? If we recycled the 48 billion aluminum cans that we throw away each year, we could save the equivalent of 24 million barrels of oil. |
On November 15, 2005, EPA is sponsoring and participating in the 9th annual America Recycles Day . This event is one means to reduce our impact on the environment. It represents a partnership among government, industry, and environmental organizations to promote recycling and to encourage recycling nationwide. Ultimately, America Recycles Day, and other events like it, will help us achieve our 35 percent national recycling goal.
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