Recycle

Why Recycle?

Each time you recycle your bottles, cans and newspaper you are helping to preserve natural resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease energy use. While our individual efforts might not seem like much, our actions together have a considerable impact on our environment and economy. Recycling also creates Vermont jobs and adds value to discarded materials.

In 2001, Vermont recycling programs supplied industry with over 179,000 tons of scrap commodities like paper, glass, metals, plastics, wood, construction & demolition and other materials.

These efforts:

• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by about 94,000 metric tons of carbon equivalent per year, equal to approximately 66.9% of all industrial carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion in the state and 4.5% of greenhouse gas emissions.

• Saved a total of 2.1 trillion BTUs of energy, equal to nearly 5.3% of all energy used by industry in the state, which has a value of $10 million dollars. This energy savings is also an amount equal to 365,736 barrels of oil saved or 32,120 cars off the road. This energy savings is enough power for nearly 20,000 homes for one year.

• Reduced about 558 metric tons of water pollutants and 8,805 metric tons of air pollutants (not including the greenhouse gas reductions mentioned above). Recycling reduced overall emissions of sulfur oxides, an important ingredient in acid rain formation, by about 520 metric tons. Nitrous oxides were reduced by about 520 metric tons.

• Reduced the need for virgin materials by twice that amount, including 46,181 tons of iron ore, 25,862 tons of coal and 2,217 tons of limestone. Furthermore, by recycling 47,057 tons of mixed paper, newsprint, phone books, and office paper in 2001, Vermont reduced the need to cut 578,376 trees.