JPscrapmetal

What Goes to Waste:

	Americans use 100 million tin and steel cans each day.
	The average employee consumes 2.5 beverages a day while at work.
	According to the U.S. EPA, every American throws away an average of 1.3 pounds of food scraps daily.
	In 2009, there were 5.1 billion pounds of PET bottles and jars available in the U.S. for recycling.
	Recycling steel saves 75 percent of the energy that would be used to create steel from raw materials, enough to power 18 million homes.
	About 89 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are used each year in the U.S.
	Running your faucet for 5 minutes uses up enough energy to run a 60 watt light bulb for 14 hours.
	American throw away (dispose, not recycle) enough aluminum every month to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet.
	American throw away (dispose, not recycle) enough iron and steel to supply all the nation's automakers on a continuous basis.
	In 2007, the U.S. EPA estimated that 65.7 million desktop computers, 42.4 million computer monitors and 2.1 million laptop computers were in storage, not being used.
	One gallon of motor oil has the potential to contaminate one million gallons of water, and it is a major cause of polluted waterways and drinking water.

How Recyclers Help :

	The steel industry has been recycling for over 150 years. Scrap has been an important export commodity from the United States for over 120 years.
	Recycling one ton of steel scrap saves more than 80% of the CO2 emissions produced when making steel from Iron ore.
	Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy used to make the material from scratch.
	There are 7-8 Million vehicles that are recycled every year, auto recycling supplies the nation's scrap industry of about 37% of its ferrous scrap processing, making it one of the major sources of scrap metal.
	Recycling metal is an important part of the environment. Recycled metal does not lose any of its original properties during the reclamation process; it can be reused indefinitely, saving valuable resources. Aluminum and steel can be recycled continuously. It takes over 400 years for aluminum to naturally degrade.
	The steel industry's largest source of raw material is scrap metal, which is commonly collected by recycling steel.
	One ton of recycled steel saves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone.
	A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf as a new can, in as little as 60 days. That's closed loop recycling at its finest!
	Recycling glass reduces related air pollution by 20 percent and related water pollution by 50 percent.
	According to the U.S. EPA , over 380 million gallons of used oil is reused or recycled in the U.S. each year.
	Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a 100 watt light bulb for 20 hours, a computer for 3 hours, and a TV for 2 hours.

How You Can Help:

	The U.S. EPA estimates that 75 percent of our waste is recyclable.
	When at the store, check out a product's trash profile before you purchase it. Pick the one that has the least amount of waste associated with it.
	Compost adds nutrient content to the soil as well as keeping moisture in the soil so you water less. It also binds to soil contaminants to keep them from spreading.
	The simple act of thinking more about packaging and buying accordingly can help to curb your waste output before you even purchase.
	Each year, more than 10 million vehicles are disposed of in the U.S. Over 76 percent of each scrap automobile is recycled. Almost all the iron and steel of a car is recovered when recycled or reused, as well as lead, aluminum and copper. Recycle your junk car properly.
	Stop getting "junk mail". Don't let paper be wasted on mail that you do not want anyway. Just call the customer service number printed on the catalog or advertisement and ask to be removed from the mailing list.
	Place an adequate number of trash containers in parking lots as well as inside and outside of all building entrances.
	Establish the expectation that employees will pick up trash anywhere in or around your place of business. Let them know that it is not acceptable to walk past litter.

	Do it now:
	-- Using reusable bags while out shopping – no more paper or plastic
	-- Purchasing a reusable water bottle
	-- Getting a reusable mug for your morning trips to the coffee shop
	-- Turing the water off when you brush your teeth
	-- Recycling basic items in your curbside program
	-- Reusing those glass jars to get more uses out of them
	-- Adjusting the thermostat by a few degrees
	-- Replacing older light bulbs with CFLs
	-- Taking reusable bags to the store
	-- Buying and using rechargeable batteries
	-- Starting a compost pile

	Down the Road:
	-- Get off the grid with solar energ
	-- Replace all the toilets, faucets and shower heads with ones that conserve water
	-- Buy a hybrid or electric car
	-- Organize a community recycling drive for hard-to-recycle items

More resources for recycling:

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	EPA --- Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa.gov/)
	Iowa DOT --- Iowa Department of Transportation (http://www.iowadot.gov/)
	Iowa DNR --- Iowa Department of Natural Resources (http://www.iowadnr.gov/)
	Earth 911 --- Online Recycling Info & Directory (http://earth911.com/)
	KAB --- Keep America Beautiful (http://www.kab.org)
	KIB --- Keep Iowa Beautiful (http://www.keepiowabeautiful.com/)