What are the benefits of recycling?

America is home to 5% of the worlds population, yet it consumes three times as much natural resource as the global average. This means that every year we fill enough garbage trucks in the United States to form a line that would stretch from the Earth, halfway to the moon; thats 119,430 miles!

Introducing a recycling scheme in your office will not only help save the planet but can also SAVE YOU MONEY!

An effective waste diversion program will:

• Cost less than it does to landfill: 10 25% savings.
• Reduce your organization's greenhouse gas emissions.
• May help to 'carbon neturalize' your business.
• Enhance your corporation's environmental responsibility policy.

The introduction of these typical waste streams can make a sizeable difference to your landfill costs:

Plastic Bottles:

Americans throw away an average of 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour!

Glass Bottles:

The amount of glass bottles thrown away every two weeks would fill the Empire State building!

Paper:

Each year enough paper is trashed to build a 12 foot high wall from Los Angeles to New York!

Cans:

65 Billion soda cans are used every year!

Conserving Resources

Not only can recycling help the environment, we can all benefit. When we recycle used materials they are converted into new products, reducing the need to consume natural resources. If used materials are not recycled, new products are made by extracting fresh, raw material from the Earth, through mining and forestry.

Saving Energy

Using recycled materials in the manufacturing process uses considerably less energy than producing new products from virgin material.

Cost Saving

Recycling and waste reduction schemes can provide cost savings to organizations. Initial costs to implement the scheme will, in the long term, be offset by reduced trash disposal fees and less waste creation.

Such a visible commitment to the environment will also result in intangible benefits to employee morale and your organization's public perception.

It is paramount to establish a successful recycling program that maximizes cost saving by ensuring employees actively participate. This can benefit your program in two ways: the more your employees both recycle and reduce the amount of waste they create in the first place, the more your trash disposal cost will decrease. Integrating recycling and waste reduction techniques into your daily operating procedures and the culture of your business will ensure that your employees are saving the organization money whilst they do the right thing for the planet.

*information has been sourced from the EPA and the Clean Air Council