Why Recycle?

Here are some recycling facts I found on http://www.dosomething.org/ Hopefully it will encourage those of you that are not currently recycling, to start.

FACT 1
Paper products make up 40% of all trash. That can all be recycled!
FACT 2
The highest point in Ohio is a literally a garbage dump that is now called Mount Rumpke.
FACT 3
Americans throw away 25 trillion Styrofoam cups that cannot decomposed or be recycled.
FACT 4
Only about 30% of paper, trash, and food waste is recycled.
FACT 5
17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 4,000 kilowatts of energy and 7,000 gallons of water can be saved by recycling 1 ton of paper!
FACT 6
80% of papermakers in America use at least some form of recycled materials to create new paper.
FACT 7
Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour!
FACT 8
Recycled plastic is can be made into polyester carpets, plastic lumber, clothing, flower pots, insulation for sleeping bags & ski jackets, car bumpers and other products.
FACT 9
All soda cans are made from aluminum. Each American uses about 400 cans a year. If aluminum is recycled, 95% less energy is used than if it were made from scratch.
FACT 10
Cell phones, computers, and other technology release toxins into the environment when they are thrown away. The only way to stop the pollution is to recycle them.
FACT 11
Although 75% of our trash can be recycled, the EPA set a national goal of 25% for 1992.
FACT 12
The first real recycling program was introduced in New York City in the 1890s. The city's first recycling plant was built in 1898.By 1924, 83% of American cities were separating some trash items to be reused.
FACT 13
About one-third of an average dump is made up of packaging material!
FACT 14
Every year, each American throws out about 1,200 pounds of organic garbage that can be composted.
FACT 15
One-third of the water used in most homes is flushed down the toilet.
FACT 16
A single quart of motor oil, if disposed of improperly, can contaminate up to 2,000,000 gallons of fresh water.