UpDate - Vol. 13, No. 15, Page 6
December 16, 1993
Campus recycling
Did you know that...

     * The average American generates 3.5 pounds of garbage every day
(approximately 1,280 lbs. a year). Nationally, Americans produce over 160
million tons of garbage each year.
     * Over 80 percent of this waste could be recycled using existing
technologies.
     * Throwing away an aluminum can is equivalent to discarding a
half-full can of gasoline. Americans throw away 35 billion aluminum cans
every year. If all these cans were recycled, it would save an amount of
energy equal to 150 Exxon Valdez oil spills annually.
     * By recycling aluminum, it is possible to save 95 percent of the
energy needed to manufacture new products from raw materials.
     * In 1988, Americans set an all-time conservation high by recycling
42.5 billion cans. This alone was equivalent to saving enough energy to
supply power for the city of Boston for one full year.
     * For every ton of paper that is manufactured from recycled pulp, 17
trees are saved and 3 cubic yards of waste paper avoid being landfilled.
Since paper comprises over 40 percent of the municipal waste stream,
recycling could considerably extend the lifespan of existing dumps.
     * One pulp tree is saved for every 23 reams of recycled paper used in
place of virgin paper.
     * For every million Americans who recycle, 1,500 manufacturing jobs
are created.

Facts and statistics are courtesy of the Earth Day 1990 coalition and the
book, 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save The Earth.