Recycling is the process of making new products from used materials. This not only has many benefits for the environment, but also for the future of the human race.

Recycling has numerous environmental benefits. Recycling saves energy, conserves natural resources, limits pollution, and supports several sectors of the economy.

Using recycled materials rather than virgin materials in manufacturing:  Releases less air and water pollutants  Reduces demand on trees water and minerals  Reduces emissions of greenhouse gases  Reduces the need for landfills and incinerators  Creates jobs

Extracting and processing raw materials to make new products requires a lot of energy.

Removal or reduction of these, results in an energy savings. Recycled Paper results in an energy savings of 70%.

Recycling just half of your annual recyclable household waste saves 2400 pounds of co2 being released into the atmosphere.

Many scientists contend that human released co2 is a leading cause of global warming.

Recycling creates a net gain in jobs of 5 to 1 over landfill management.

Making a ton of paper from recycled stock saves 17 trees and uses 50% less water than making paper from virgin fiber.

If every household in the United States replaced just one package of virgin napkins with 100% recycled ones we could save 1 million trees.

Approximately 1 billion trees worth of paper are thrown away every year in the U.S.

The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50,000,000 homes for 20 years.

The U.S. accounts for 5% of the world’s population but is responsible for 46% of the world’s trash. We recycle at a rate of about 28%. There is much room for improvement.

It has always been thought that the future of our world rests on shoulders of younger generations and the choices they make. No legislation will change the way people live if they don’t see the benefit.

What will make a difference is a child telling a parent that the trash they threw on the ground will personally affect his or her future.