Recycled-Upcycled

What’s So Great About Recycled and Upcycled Products?

If you are not convinced that recycling and reusing are beneficial all you have to do is look at some numbers. Worldwatch Institute and The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report that one ton of recycled paper saves 7,000 gallons of water, 380 gallons of oil, 4000 kilowatts of energy, 3 cubic yards of landfill and 17 trees. Then there’s the case of reusable opportunities. 700 paper bags can be made from 1 fifteen year old tree. Large supermarkets use upwards of 700 paper bags per day. Do the math and get yourself a few 100% recycled reusable shopping bags to lead the tree saving crusade. There is also economic growth according to the U.S. Recycling Economic Information Study (REI). It reports that the recycling and reuse industry is made up of approximately 56,000 organizations that employ 1.1 million people resulting in a $37 billion dollar payroll raking in over $236 billion in gross annual profits. People work, people buy recyclable reusable products and business profits, it is a win-win for society and the environment.

What is the Outlook for Future Recyclable Products?

Hitting anyone in the pocketbook or on the election front makes for listening ears. When more people shop where sustainability thrives, businesses and politicians take notice. The future of recyclable products includes more cities following San Diego, Seattle and San Francisco’s mandatory recycling laws; New York States Plastic Bag Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Act; and in the European Union, how countries must collect 4 kilos of e-waste per citizen and process 85% of electronic waste by 2016.

It is these corporate and governmental efforts that will directly or inadvertently perpetuate the future of recyclable change beside each individual citizen doing their personal best.