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Why should I recycle?
Why should I recycle?
Recycling is not only good for the environment, it's good for the economy -- yours and the community's.
Americans now generate twice the amount of garbage we did in 1960 -- over 196 million tons -- and we're depleting our natural resources is creating this garbage! For example, more than half a million trees are consumed to produce the Sunday newspaper each week -- 57 percent of these newpapers are never recycled.
This loss of trees results in increased erosion, which damages aquatic life; as well as the air we breathe, as trees absorb carbon dioxide and add oxygen to the atmosphere.
Recycling reduces air and water pollution. Making products from recycled materials creates less pollution than manufacturing products from virgin materials. And recycling saves energy, too. Recycling one ton of plastic saves the equivalent of 1,000 to 2,000 gallons of gasoline.
Recycling also saves us money. Recent estimates indicated that packaging accounts for 13 percent of all food costs -- that adds up to $500 a year for the average family. So shopping for products with minimal packaging can really add up. And recycling saves everyone's tax dollars. Every pound of material that's recycled is a pound that the city won't have to pay for to dispose in a landfill.
Now, more than ever, recycling is important to the life of our community and our planet. For more information on how you can get into the recycling habit, call the St. Louis City Refuse Division at 353-8877 or the St. Louis County Department of Health at 854-6957, or call your local city hall.