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Environment & Recycling Facts
Education, Schools, & Kids > Environment & Recycling Facts
Environment and Recycling Facts
Environment
- The world is known to be 4.5 billion years old, and human civilization occurred about 20 thousand years ago. However, in the past 50 years, we’ve consumed more resources than ever before in history.
- The production, consumption, and disposal of our products account for nearly 50% of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Since the very first Earth Day in 1970, Americans have thrown away 910 billion aluminum cans. Rather than recycle, it wasted about 25 billion dollars.
- Nearly 80% of the world’s energy comes from oil, coal, or gas.
- More than 2 million people globally die prematurely every year due to outdoor and indoor air pollution.
- Half the world’s tropical and temperate forests are now obsolete.
- Turning off the water faucet while brushing your teeth can cut water usage in half.
Recycling
- It only takes about 6 weeks total to manufacture, fill, sell, recycle, and then remanufacture an aluminum beverage can.
- If everyone in the US was able to reduce their average of 11 pieces of junk mail received each week, we could save nearly 100 million trees each year.
- Recycling just 48 cans is the energy equivalent of conserving one gallon of gas.
- One pound of newspaper can be recycled into 6 cereal boxes.
- Since 1990, the paper recovered through US recycling efforts would fill 200 football stadiums to a height of 100 feet.
- 50% of an aluminum can is recycled aluminum.
- Steel cans made with recycled steel will produce carbon almost 5 times less.
- Paper made from recycled paper will save 64% of energy.
- Recycling one ton of paper would conserve 17 trees.
- Glass produced from recycled glass will save 50% of energy.