Recycling 101

Did You Know..?
Why Recycle?
How Recycling Works?

Did you know..?

• The average person generates about 2,000 pounds of trash per year; enough to fill 80 trash cans a year.
• Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees.
• Making paper from recycled pulp uses 70% less energy and 50% less water compared to virgin pulp.
• Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run one TV for three hours.
• Every pound of steel recycled saves enough energy to light a 60-watt light bulb for over 26 hours.
• Recycling programs WORK! And they work best when they are easy to understand and convenient for everyone.

Why Recycle?

• Recycling keeps pollution out of our environment. Of the trash not recycled in Philadelphia, 30% of it is burned in incinerators and 70% is buried in landfills. Incinerators pollute the air with toxic smoke and landfills leak toxic chemicals into the soil and water.
• Recycling promotes and improves neighborhoods. There's less trash and more community pride in neighborhoods with strong recycling.
• Recycling can and should be cost effective! The more recyclable materials we collect, the more cost effective recycling is. The Philadelphia program will be most economical when we increase the total amount of recyclables picked up every week.
• Recycling creates jobs! Reuse and re-manufacturing of materials means more jobs compared to incinerators and landfills. From 1986 to 1992, 733 jobs were created by recycling businesses in Philadelphia, according to the EPA - and more have been added since.
• Recycling is the law. Pennsylvania's statewide recycling goal is to recycle 35% of its trash. Philadelphia City Council set a 40% recycling goal for the city almost a decade ago. Yet, currently, only about 5% of Philadelphia's residential trash is recycled.
• Recycling is working! A pilot program in two sections of the city with weekly recycling pick up shows a dramatic increase in the amount collected. Initial results indicate an average increase in recyclables of 26% by weight.