7/24/07

Astonishing Recycling Facts

I'm no tree hugger, but I recycle all my newspapers, aluminum cans, and bottles. And I've just learned that I need to switch away from cypress mulch. (Thanks Thingfish23)

I'm taking a macroeconomics course right now. It's H-A-R-D. I'm studying a chapter on Negative Externalities. I was astonished to learn some statistics about pollution and recycling. Here it goes:


  • Pesticide residues on food pose more health problems than do toxic waste dumps or air pollution.
  • Smog: 40% of smog comes from automobiles; 40% comes from consumer products; 15% comes from manufacturing.
  • Air pollution on average is now greater indoors than outdoors
  • Nearly all US cities have modern sewage control systems...
  • A notable exception is NYC, which teams up with NJ to dump their raw sewage 100 miles out to sea
  • 50% of US households curbside recycle
  • 15% of all US garbage gets recycled; 15% gets incinerated; 70% goes to the landfill
  • Japan recycles 40% of their garbage; 33% gets incinerated; 27% goes to the landfill
  • Germany recycles 70% of all paper garbage
  • The US recycles 42% of all paper garbage and ranks 16th globally in this measure.
  • In the US, 2 out of 3 aluminum cans get recycled which is 8 lbs per person

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