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94% of the natural resources America uses are non-renewable. Recycling saves these non-renewable resources. With recycling, 20% more wood will need to be harvested by 2010 to keep up with demand. Without recycling, 80% more wood would need to be harvested. It takes 95% less energy to recycle aluminum than it does to make it from raw materials. Making recycled steel saves 60%, recycled newspaper 40%, recycled plastics 70%, and recycled glass 40%. Landfilling never saves energy. Using scrap steel instead of virgin ore to make new steel takes 40% less water and creates 97% less mining waste. Aluminum Cans: In 1995, 2 billion pounds of aluminum cans were diverted from landfills. More than 50% of a new aluminum can is made from recycled aluminum. Recycling one aluminum can saves the equivalent of enough energy to run a television set for three hours. Aluminum can be recycled and reused indefinitely without a decline in material performance or quality. Steel "Tin" Cans: About 566 steel cans are recycled every second. Every day, Americans use more than 100 million steel cans. Recycling steel cans saves 74% of the energy that would be used to produce from virgin materials. Glass Glass is 100% recyclable in a true closed-loop system; there are no waste by-products. Every glass bottle that is recycled can save enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for four hours. By recycling one ton of glass, we save the energy equivalent of nine gallons of fuel oil. Plastic Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour. Five recycled soft drink bottles will make enough fiberfill for a man's ski jacket. 1,050 recycled milk jugs can be made into a six-foot park bench. The United States makes enough plastic film each year to shrink-wrap the state of Texas. If only 10% of Americans bought products with less plastic packaging only 10% of the time, approximately 144 million pounds of plastic could be eliminated from our landfills. Paper As of 1994, more paper was being recovered than was sent to the landfills. One year's worth of the New York Times weighs 520 pounds. Every day, U.S. businesses generate enough paper to encircle the Earth 20 times. Every ton of paper recycled saves about 17 trees. A very simple thing that you can do right now to positively impact the environment - Use Less Stuff!! At least 20% of solid waste generated by Texans comes from grass clippings, leaves, and other landscape wastes. (Texas Agricultural Extension Service) In 1970, over 20,000 landfills were in operation in the United States; by 1993, only 4,000 were open. (EPA) Texans spend over $1 billion annually for solid waste disposal services for over 22 million tons of garbage. In 1960, Americans disposed of 2.7 pounds of waste per person per day. By 1990, the number had risen to 4.3 pounds per person per day. (EPA) Reusing items whenever possible will cut down the amount of waste you generate. Workplace waste from the commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors, which include schools, comprises 30 to 45% of municipal solid waste. (EPA) Recycling is good for the economy. A study by the Southern States Waste Management Coalition found that the recycling industry in Texas employs 20,000 workers and adds $2.9 billion in value to the Texas Economy. Source: "Recycling in America: A Reference Handbook". Debra L. Strong. Published in 1997 by Contemporary World Issues.