Welcome to the Green Practices Recycling Page!

Carnegie Mellon Recycling Data

 

 

Why Should We Recycle?

Paper

• Making new paper from old paper uses 30-55% less energy than making paper from trees and reduces related air pollution by 95%
• Each day American businesses generate enough paper to circle the globe at least 40 times!
• Commercial and residential paper waste accounts for more than 40% of waste going to landfills.  Eliminating this paper from our waste would nearly double the lives of current landfills
• Newspaper can be recycled into newspaper, game boards, egg cartons, gift boxes, animal bedding, insulation and packaging material
• Office paper is recycled into office paper, tissue paper, paper towels, and toilet paper

Plastic

• 35% of polyester carpet sold in America contains recycled plastic from recycled soft drink bottles
• Recycled plastics can be made into bottles, shower stalls, recycling bins, scouring pads, paint brushes, industrial strapping, drainpipes, plastic lumber, flowerpots, etc.

Glass

• Every ton of glass recycled saves the equivalent of 9 gallons of fuel oil needed to make glass from virgin materials
• At least 30% of glass containers on grocery store shelves can be recycled
• Container glass can be recycled repeatedly with no loss of quantity or quality

Metal

• Every three months, the U.S. throws away enough aluminum to rebuild our entire commercial airline fleet
• Recycling aluminum uses 95% less energy than making new aluminum from bauxite ore
• We throw away enough iron and steel to continuously supply all of America's auto makers
• Metal is melted down and reformed into new products such as cans, automobile parts, siding, appliances and building materials.

Source: The Public Recycling Officials of Pennsylvania, Developing a Waste Reduction and Recycling Program for Commercial, Industrial and Municipal Establishments, May 1995