Happy America Recycles Day!

If you have two minutes a day to recycle you can help:

• reduce consumer costs
• reduce air and water pollution
• divert waste from the landfills
• reduce litter and illegal dumping
• convert waste into new, useful products
• reduce industry’s impact on the environment
• conserve valuable energy and natural resources

The concept and origin of the three arrows of recycling can be traced back to April 1970 when the first Earth Day was observed and a contest was held. The contest was sponsored by the Container Corporation of America. It was announced to environmentally aware art students and they were asked to create a design symbolizing the paper recycling process.

The winning entry was to be used to identify products and packages made from recycled and recyclable fibers. This campaign was also designed to make the public aware that recycling paper was effective and additionally would conserve natural resources tremendously.

 

 

More Recycling Facts:

80% of our trash has the potential to be recycled. This adds up to 67 trash cans per person every year.

You can be part of the solution. Like all businesses, demand is the key factor to the success of recycling.  Until recyclables are returned to the marketplace and purchased in the form of new products, they haven’t been recycled. To recycle responsibly, buy products with a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content whenever possible.

Rethinking your purchases by precycling (precycling is what you do by choosing products carefully before you purchase):

• Select products with minimal wrapping packaged in recycled material.
• Avoid packages made from several layers of different materials which can’t be separated, like juice boxes.
• Avoid individually packaged products.
• Reuse paper or plastic bags. Better yet, carry your own reusable canvas or string shopping bag.
• Buy durable products rather than disposable items.
• Ask yourself: What will happen to a wrapping or container when I finish? Will this add to the problem? How long will this product last?
• Buy products that can be recharged or refilled.