HeraldNet: Can recycling save the economy?



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Eco Geek

November 11, 2008

National Recycling Coalition (click to enlarge)

Saturday, Nov. 15, is America Recycles Day. Catch the fever!

Can recycling save the economy?

Posted at 10:15 am by Sarah Jackson

Well, it’s certainly can’t hurt.

Seriously.

Did you know … Recycling in the United States is a $236 billion industry, employing 1.1 million workers nationwide at 56,000 businesses?

That’s according to the National Recycling Coalition, which is celebrating America Recycles Day this Saturday.

Think about it.

If more people recycled, we could have more jobs and a stronger economy.

I’m always shocked at how many people, don’t even consider recycling. Every day I see soda cans and cardboard in garbage cans. People seem to think all waste is garbage.

It. Is. So. Totally. Not.

During the average American’s lifetime, he or she has the opportunity to recycle 25,000 cans. And yet, every three months, Americans landfill enough aluminum to rebuild the entire commercial air fleet, according the coalition.

Don’t people know: Someone mined that aluminum? Someone made it into cans and it all came at a cost before they ever even touched it?

I wonder: If we all recycled — if somehow there was more social pressure to do it — how many more jobs we would create and how much energy we would save and how much the environment would benefit?

Am I preaching to the choir?

Probably.

In honor of America Recycles Day, be sure to check out the coalition’s groovy little Conversationator, an animated-interactive tool full of nerdy yet fascinating recycling facts, including some you saw here.

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