Recycling is one of the three R's of waste management, along with reuse and reduce. Currently about one-third of America's waste is recycled annually. Among scientists and environmental activists, the consensus is that recycling programs need to expand. So you may be wondering what the effects would be on our environment if people were not recycling.
Trash Today
The Us produces an average of 250 million tons of solid waste a year.
In 2007, over 254 million tons of municipal solid waste was collected, according to the EPA. 85 million tons of that waste were recycled or composted.Trash in the Future
The amount of trash that the United States produces has tripled in the past 50 years. At that rate, we will be producing nearly a billion tons of trash a year by 2060.The Land is Full
Landfills are running out of room for waste, and some states are running out of space for landfills. If we do not recycle more (as well as reuse and reduce more often), we will soon be surrounded by our own waste.Glass is 100% Recyclable
Americans use over 13 million tons of glass products annually, but only about 25 per cent is recycled. That means almost 10 million tons are being left in landfills, waterways and the wilderness. Glass takes thousands of years to biodegrade.Yes, We Have Cans
A bale of aluminium cans ready to be recycled.
If aluminium cans were not being recycled, there would be over 80 billion of them left in landfills and on land every year. It actually costs more, and it uses 95 per cent more energy to make new cans from raw materials.No More Trees
1 Sunday's worth of papers = 500,000 trees
Likewise, about 50 million tons of paper are recycled annually, but this is only about half of what is produced. If there was no paper recycling, we would lose 850 million more trees a year.
