2019 Recycling Industry Yearbook

ISRI.ORG 11 ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF RECYCLING In addition to generating significant economic benefits, the recycling industry is a pivotal player in environmental protection, resource conservation, and sustainability. U.S. recyclers transformed 138 million mt of material from outdated or obsolete products into valuable manufacturing inputs in 2018. Those scrap commodities reduce the need to mine for ore, cut down trees for paper, extract fossil fuels to produce plastic, and otherwise deplete our natural resources. Recycling also reduces the amount of material sent to landfills, preserving that land for better uses. Manufacturing products with recycled material results in significant energy savings compared with manufacturing with virgin materials, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making that energy available for other purposes. According to figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, the 138 million mt of commodities recycled in 2018 saved the equivalent of nearly 400 million tons of carbon dioxide, equal to the energy use of 48 million homes for one year. Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Copper Study Group, Association of Plastic Recyclers, Glass Packaging Institute, U.S. EPA Source: EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator ENERGY SAVED BY USING RECYCLED MATERIALS Compared with manufacturing using virgin materials Using Recycled Saves Up to How Much Energy? Aluminum 95% Copper 85% Plastic 88% Steel 74% Paper 68% Glass 25% RECYCLING 1 TON OF MATERIAL AVOIDS THESE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS EQUIVALENTS: Carbon Sequestered by • 3.5 acres of U.S. forests in one year • 50 tree seedlings grown for 10 years Greenhouse Gas Emissions From • 7,335 miles driven by an average passenger vehicle CO 2 Emissions From • 338 gallons of gasoline consumed • 3,280 pounds of coal burned • 382,537 smartphones charged