Recycling Facts

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What Exactly is Recycling?

Recycling is a term that describes the process of converting "waste" into resources that can be made into new products. It sounds simple, but there are several critical steps involved:

  • First, it is up to us to separate recyclable material from regular garbage.
  • Then, Urban Impact will collect the materials, sort them, and send them for recycling; the materials go to companies all over the world - and several right here in BC!
  • These companies use the recycled materials as feedstock to produce new products, conserving natural resources.
  • The process isn't over yet! Then we need to buy items made from recycled materials to ensure that companies continue to use recycled material in their products. Buy Recycled!

Aluminum Recycling Facts:

  • Discovered in the 1820s, aluminum is the most abundant metal on earth.
  • Over 50 percent of the aluminum cans produced are recycled.
  • A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf as a new can, in as little as 60 days. That’s closed loop recycling at its finest!
  • Aluminum is a durable and sustainable metal: 2/3 of the aluminum ever produced is in use today.
  • Every minute of everyday, an average of 113,204 aluminum cans are recycled.
  • Making new aluminum cans from used cans takes 95 percent less energy and 20 recycled cans can be made with the energy needed to produce one can using virgin ore.
  • Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to keep a 100-watt bulb burning for almost four hours or run your television for three hours.
  • Last year 54 billion cans were recycled saving energy equivalent to 15 million barrels of crude oil - America’s entire gas consumption for one day.
  • Tossing away an aluminum can wastes as much energy as pouring out half of that can’s volume of gasoline.
  • In 1972, 24,000 metric tons of aluminum used beverage containers (UBCs) were recycled. In 1998, the amount increased to over 879,000 metric tons.
  • In 1972, it took about 22 empty, aluminum cans to weigh one pound. Due to advanced technology to use less material and increase durability of aluminum cans, in 2002 it takes about 34 empty aluminum cans to weigh one pound.
  • The average employee consumes 2.5 beverages a day while at work.
  • The empty aluminum can is worth about 1 cent.

Glass Recycling Facts:

  • Glass containers are 100 percent recyclable, and recovered glass is used as the majority ingredient in new glass containers
  • The national recycling rate for glass containers is just over 25 percent, according to a 2005 study by the EPA
  • Americans recycle nearly 13 million glass jars and bottles every day
  • The glass container industry has an annual revenue of $5.5. billion, with almost 50 manufacturing plants located throughout the United States
  • The typical glass processing facility can recycle up to 20 tons of glass per hour
  • Glass containers produced today are 40 percent lighter than when they were produced 20 years ago, making them much easier to recycle now
  • Every ton of glass that is recycled results in a ton of raw materials saved to process new glass, including 1,300 pounds of sand, 410 pounds of soda ash and 380 pounds of limestone
  • Glass containers come in four different colors: clear, blue, brown and green; glass must be separated by color to ensure that new glass is not created from a mix of colors
  • Most recycling programs will only accept glass containers because products such as drinking glasses, lightbulbs, mirrors and Pyrex have been treated with contaminants when manufactured
  • A 2005 study by the Beverage Packaging Environmental Council found that 18 percent of glass bottles are consumed at bars or restaurants
Source: Glass Packaging Institute

Paper and Paper Recycling Facts:

  • In 2006, the amount of paper recovered for recycling averaged 357 pounds for each man, woman, and child in the United States
  • Every ton of paper recycled saves more than 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space
  • By 2012, the paper industry’s goal is to recover 55 percent of all the paper Americans consume for recycling, which is approximately 55 million tons of paper
  • More than 37 percent of the fiber used to make new paper products in the United States comes from recycled sources
  • 86 percent (approximately 254 million) of Americans have access to curbside or drop-off paper recycling programs

Plastic Recycling Facts:

  • In 2006, Americans drank about 167 bottles of water each, but only recycled an average of 23 percent. That leaves 38 billion water bottles in landfills.
  • Bottled water costs between $1 and $4 per gallon and 90 percent of the cost is in the bottle, lid and label.
  • According to the Beverage Marketing Corp, the average American consumed 1.6 gallons of bottled water in 1976. In 2006 that number jumped to 28.3 gallons.
  • It takes over 1.5 million barrels of oil to manufacture a year’s supply of bottled water. That’s enough oil to fuel 100,000 cars.
  • Eight out of 10 plastic water bottles become landfill waste.
  • In 2007 we spent $16 billion on bottled water. That’s more than we spent on iPods or movie tickets.
  • Plastic bottles take 700 years before they begin to decompose in a landfill.
  • If everyone in NYC gave up water bottles for one week they would save 24 million bottles from being landfilled; one month would save 112 million bottles and one year would save 1.328 billion bottles from going into the landfill.

Sources:


Steel Recycling Facts:

  • Each year, North America recycles more steel than aluminum, glass, paper and plastic combined
  • Americans use 100 million steel cans every day
  • The steel industry has been recycling for over 150 years
  • The steel industry’s largest source of raw material is scrap metal, which is commonly collected by recycling steel
  • Recycling steel saves 75 percent of the energy that would be used to create steel from raw materials, enough to power 18 million homes
  • Over 65 percent of the steel produced in the U.S. is recycled into new steel every year
  • A ton of recycled steel saves 2500 pounds of iron ore, 1400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone, since they are the raw materials for making new steel
  • A steel frame for a 2,000 square-foot two-story house is equivalent to the material of about six recycled cars; a comparable wooden frame would take over 40 trees to produce
  • A typical household appliance (also known as a “white good”) is produced using approximately 65 percent steel
  • Steel cans contain at least 25 percent recycled steel, with many nearly 100 percent recycled content
Source: Steel Recycling Institute

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