- Every year nearly 900,000,000 trees are cut down to provide raw materials for American paper and pulp mills. [ref.] [ref.]
Recycling paper reduces greenhouse gas emissions, conserves natural resources, and saves landfill space. 80 percent of America’s paper mills are designed to use paper collected in recycling programs, and they depend on paper recycling to have the materials they need to operate.
- Americans throw 28 billion bottles and jars into the trash every year. [ref.]
Glass never wears out – it will live in a landfill forever or can be recycled forever.
- If every home in the U.S. changed just one of their regular light bulbs to a compact fluorescent bulb enough green house gases would be prevented to equal the emissions of over 800,000 vehicles. [ref.]
Compact fluorescents cost a little more in the stores than regular light bulbs to purchase, but the bulbs can last up to 7 years and cut your energy use more than in half saving much more than they cost. Imagine the impact you can have on the environment and your wallet if you make the commitment to only use compact fluorescents in your home and office.
- Cars, trucks and other vehicles account for almost 1/3 of the United States air pollution. [ref.]
Obviously vehicles leave a major mark on the environment. If we can limit the amount we drive, or drive better vehicles that give out less emissions when we do drive, then we can have a considerable positive impact on air pollution.
- Each year Americans alone throw away 25 billion Styrofoam cups. Even 500 years from now, the foam coffee cup you used this morning will be sitting in a landfill. [ref.]
Styrofoam is un-recyclable— it cannot be made into new Styrofoam. The simple solution to this is to choose not to buy or consume Styrofoam.
-The U.S., with a population of 307 million, consumes more fossil fuels than any other country in the world including China whose population is 1.3 billion. [ref.] [ref.]
The world has become hugely dependent on fossil fuels, or petroleum. The emissions from the burning of these fuels are a major contributor to pollution and poor air quality. Because we have become so dependent on vehicle transportation, we must be very careful as to use alternative transportation that does not take fossil fuels and must be aware of the types of vehicles we drive and what kind of impact they are having on the environment.
- Transportation accounts for 67% of U.S. oil use—mainly in the form of gasoline. [ref.]
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to improve gas mileage. Click the Get Involved section for more information.
- Up to 13% of household power-consumption comes from home appliances that are turned off but still plugged in. [ref.]
Take an inventory of all of your plugged in appliances, televisions, d.v.d. players, toasters, blow dryers. All of these appliances and more are using energy when they are plugged in and not even being used. Click the Get Involved section to learn how you can easily reduce your household power-consumption.
- Disposable diapers last centuries in landfills. An average baby will go through 8,000 of them! Luckily there are biodegradable alternatives no a days as well as reusable diapers. [ref.]
- Americans make more than 200 million tons of garbage each year. [ref.]
- It takes a 15-year-old tree to produce 700 grocery bags. [ref.]