In the spirit of Earth Day, which is this Sunday, April 22nd, this week on the blog we wanted to feature reasons to recycle. The very first Earth Day was April 22nd, 1970, when people all over the country made promises to help the environment. Since then, Earth Day has spread all over the planet. Today the most common products in cities recycling programs are paper products, cardboard, plastic, glass and aluminum. Most of the communities located in Woodstock, Georgia offer curbside recycling programs, but there are also many public places to drop recyclable items.
According to the Georgia Recycling Coalition, the top ten reasons to recycle are:
Colorful Recycling Containers for Trash (Photo credit: epSos.de)
1.) Good for our economy -Recycling in the United States is a $236 billion a year industry. More than 56,000 recycling and reuse enterprises employ 1.1 million workers nationwide.
2. Creates Jobs – More than 56,000 recycling and reuse enterprises employ 1.1 million workers nationwide.
3. Reduces Waste – The average North American discards seven and a half pounds of garbage every day. Most of this garbage goes into to landfills, where it’s compacted and buried.
4. Good For The Environment – Recycling requires far less energy, uses fewer natural resources, and keeps waste from piling up in landfills.
5. Saves Energy – Recycling offers significant energy savings over manufacturing with virgin materials. (Manufacturing with recycled aluminum cans uses 95% less energy.)
6. Preserves Landfill Space – No one wants to live next door to a landfill. Recycling preserves existing landfill space.
7. Prevents Global Warming – Each year it is estimated that recycling of solid waste prevents the release of 52 million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MMTCE, the unit of measure for greenhouse gases) into the air.
8. Reduces Water Pollution – Making goods from recycled materials generates far less water pollution than manufacturing from virgin materials.
9. Protects Wildlife – Using recycled materials reduces the need to damage forests, wetlands, rivers and other places essential to wildlife.
10. Creates New Demand – Recycling and buying recycled products creates demand for more recycled products, decreasing waste and helping our economy.
The team at Mr Junk is determined to help the environment as best we can. We recycle or donate everything possible with only true junk going to state-approved landfill sites or transfer stations. If you’re concerned about making the lowest environmental impact, contact us for your junk removal services. You will be glad you did!
