Recycling FACTS

1. Each one of us produces about 4 lbs. of trash per day or about ¾ ton each year. That doesn't count the industrial and community waste produced on our behalf.

2. The good news is that about 75% of our trash is recyclable. That's ¾ or 3 out of 4 bags that we put out at the curb.

3. The bad news is that we don't recycle all that we could.  The national average is 32%.  MI recycles about 20%, the worst average in the Great Lakes area. Minnesota and New York have some of the highest rates at over 40%.

4. Paper takes up the most volume of our trash. Paper, including newspaper, mail, paper towels, napkins, paper sacks, and packaging like cereal boxes is 38% of our trash.  Plastic makes up 11%, metals 8% and glass only about 6%.

5. Most of our Newaygo County waste goes to the landfill in Muskegon County on Apple Ave. or to the Pierson Landfill near U.S.131.  On average Michigan landfills all have a 15 year life span.

6. The 3 R's of waste are reduce, reuse and recycle. 

7. The recycling symbol looks 3 arrows in a loop. Each arrow symbolizes one of the three stages of recycling.  1) Recovery or collection of the product, 2) Manufacture of another product using it and 3) Marketing and selling the product.

8. There are seven different types of plastic containers coded for recycling. We collect #1 and #2 at our drop-off sites and all numbers, 1-7 at the Fremont Center.

9. Michigan has a bottle deposit law that was passed in 1976.  Ten other states have a similar law. In Michigan 98.4 % of the bottles for deposit are returned.  That's more than 600,000 tons of bottles kept out of the landfill.

10. Recycling services cost money, but the costs can equal those of regular trash disposal if recycling is done efficiently. 

What a difference recycling can make . . .saving our natural resources!

One ton of recycled paper  saves 17 trees & 7000 gallons of water .

One ton of recycled plastic saves 3.85 barrels (162 gallons) of oil .

One ton of recycled metal saves 2500 lbs. of iron ore, 1400 lbs. of coal and 120 lbs. of limestone

One ton of glass saves 2400 lbs of sand, soda ash and limestone.