• America’s waste industry successfully manages 250 million tons of household and other municipal solid waste annually (U.S. EPA, “Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2008” [EPA Facts and Figures]).
• The average American discards four and a half pounds of garbage every day (EPA Facts and Figures).
• However, when construction and demolition waste and non-hazardous industrial waste is included, the industry manages nearly 545 million tons of solid waste each year (“Size of the United States Solid Waste Industry,” R.W. Beck, Inc. 2001).
• The total volume of solid waste produced in the U.S. each year is equal to the weight of more than 5,600 Nimitz Class air craft carriers, 247,000 Space Shuttles, or 2.3 million Boeing 747 jumbo jets (Beck)
• Newspapers-Over 73% of all newspapers are recovered for recycling. Almost a third goes back
into making more newsprint. The remainder is used to make paperboard, tissue, and insulation,
or exported
• Boxes - Nearly 76% of boxes, or corrugated containers, are recycled. A little more than 61% are
recycled into new boxes. Another 16.3% are used for paperboard packaging, like cookie and
cracker boxes.
• Office Paper - Just over 48% of office paper is recovered for recycling. These become raw
material for paperboard, tissue, and printing and writing papers.
• Americans use more than 67 million tons of paper per year, or 580 pounds per person.
• American’s receive almost 4.5 million tons of junk mail per year.
• About 44% of junk mail is never opened.
• Every person in the US receives the equivalent of one and a half trees per year or
approximately 560 pieces of junk mail per year.
• The average person gets 1.5 personal letters per week compared to 10.8 pieces of junk mail.
• Approximately 40% of the solid waste mass that makes up our landfills is paper and cardboard.
• 100 million trees are ground up each year to produce junk ma
• The average American discards four and a half pounds of garbage every day (EPA Facts and Figures).
• However, when construction and demolition waste and non-hazardous industrial waste is included, the industry manages nearly 545 million tons of solid waste each year (“Size of the United States Solid Waste Industry,” R.W. Beck, Inc. 2001).
• The total volume of solid waste produced in the U.S. each year is equal to the weight of more than 5,600 Nimitz Class air craft carriers, 247,000 Space Shuttles, or 2.3 million Boeing 747 jumbo jets (Beck)
• Newspapers-Over 73% of all newspapers are recovered for recycling. Almost a third goes back
into making more newsprint. The remainder is used to make paperboard, tissue, and insulation,
or exported
• Boxes - Nearly 76% of boxes, or corrugated containers, are recycled. A little more than 61% are
recycled into new boxes. Another 16.3% are used for paperboard packaging, like cookie and
cracker boxes.
• Office Paper - Just over 48% of office paper is recovered for recycling. These become raw
material for paperboard, tissue, and printing and writing papers.
• Americans use more than 67 million tons of paper per year, or 580 pounds per person.
• American’s receive almost 4.5 million tons of junk mail per year.
• About 44% of junk mail is never opened.
• Every person in the US receives the equivalent of one and a half trees per year or
approximately 560 pieces of junk mail per year.
• The average person gets 1.5 personal letters per week compared to 10.8 pieces of junk mail.
• Approximately 40% of the solid waste mass that makes up our landfills is paper and cardboard.
• 100 million trees are ground up each year to produce junk ma