Factoids
US Solid Waste
EPA What you can do - http://www.epa.gov/osw/wycd/catbook/what.htm
For updated percentages and figures, please see Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: Facts and Figures
Table of Trash Types and Percentages
Trash Type Percentage Tonnage
| paper |
40.4% |
71.6 million tons |
| yard trimmings |
17.6% |
31.6 million tons |
| metals |
8.5% |
15.3 million tons |
| plastics |
8.0% |
14.4 million tons |
| food scraps |
7.4% |
13.2 million tons |
| glass |
7.0% |
12.5 million tons |
| other |
11.6% |
20.8 million tons (e.g., rubber, leather, textiles, wood, miscellaneous inorganic wastes) |
One of the most effective ways to
reach people is through demonstration and proof of ideas. This section has
gathered facts to help make another case for why it is important for us to
be thinking about resource use and waste prevention. All facts mentioned here
are sited. Have fun with these facts and use them for posters or to impress
your friends and when people want to know, you can say:
THAT'S A FACT!
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ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANTAGES OF RECYCLING
According to Weyerhaeuser's Environmental Savings, recycling one
ton of paper saves:
- 17 trees
- 6953 gallons of water
- 462.57 gallons of oil
- 586.5 pounds of air pollution
- 3.06 cubic yards of landfill space
- 4077.45 KWhr of energy
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