In 1970, over 20,000 landfills were in operation in the United States; by 1993, only 4,000 were open.

Paper is the number 1 material that we throw away, even though almost all of it can be recycled. It makes up roughly 1/3 of what we toss.

Recycling steel cans saves 74 percent of the energy that would be used to produce virgin materials.

Recycling one aluminum can saves the equivalent of enough energy to run a television set for three hours.

In 1960, Americans disposed of 2.7 pounds of waste per person per day. By 1990, the number had risen to 4.3 pounds per person per day.

The average person generates over 4 pounds of trash every day and about 1.5 tons of solid waste per year.

More than 50% of a new aluminum can is made from recycled aluminum.

The United States makes enough plastic film each year to shrink-wrap the state of Texas.

Paper can decompose in under five months, but not if it’s in a plastic bag! The paper entombed inside the bag won’t decompose for at least twenty years.

Recycling is good for the economy. A study by the Southern States Waste Management Coalition found that the recycling industry in Texas employs 20,000 workers and adds $2.9 billion in value to the Texas Economy.

It takes up to 400 years for a plastic cup to decompose.

Workplace waste from the commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors, which include schools, comprises 30 to 45% of municipal solid waste.

At least 20 percent of solid waste generated by Texans comes from grass clippings, leaves, and other landscape wastes.

The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50,000,000 homes for 20 years.

Texans spend over $1 billion annually for solid waste disposal services for over 22 million tons of garbage.

Aluminum can be recycled and reused indefinitely without a decline in material performance or quality.

Every day, U.S. businesses generate enough paper to encircle the Earth 20 times.

Over 87% of Americans have access to curbside or drop-off paper recycling programs.

Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour

It takes 500 years for an aluminum can to decay.