Happy Earth Day

Those of you who really know me, know that I am a HUGE recycling nut. So, in honor of Earth Day (I know, it was yesterday) I thought I would give you a little information on recycling.

Did you know it takes....
...a glass bottle approximately 1 million years to decompose? Think of all those beer bottles you've thrown away. ONE MILLION YEARS EACH! Most recycling companies take glass - clear or colored bottles. I hope that my great, great, great.... grandchildren won't have to live on an earth full of glass instead of fresh plants and soil.
...an aluminum can 200-500 years to decompose? Seriously, that's a long time for just 1 can. Recycling cans is so easy now-a-days, there are recycling places all over town or curbisde recycling is so cheap.
...a plastic milk jug is the same as glass - one million years. If you don't use it for something else (which by the way, plastic milk jugs are pretty useful to have around) - recycle it. Save the planet 1 million years worth of work for each milk jug.
...550 years for a diaper to decompose. This one just hit me in the gut. We use disposable diapers and I'm not sure I could ever go to cloth - but after reading that, I might rethink disposable diapers if we ever have another child. I wish there were some way to recycle disposable diapers, because I'd do it.
...a plastic bag 20-50 years to decompose. There is no excuse to not recycle or reuse a plastic bag. If you don't resuse them - almost every grocery store has a recycle bin you can deposit them in. Get some cheap reusable bags to do your shopping - I've got extras if you need some. These reusable bags are only $1 at Dillons or Target and both places offer $0.05 off for each bag you bring when you come shopping. Use them a few times and they are paid for. Don't use plastic bags - enough said.

Here's what you save by recycling...
...1 ton of paper and save 17 trees and 17,000 gallons of water. We are going to need these trees and water soon, people.
...1 aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for 3 hours.
...1 glass bottle or jar saves enough energy to light a 100-watt lightbulb for 4 hours.
...1 ton of plastic saves the equivalent of 1000-2000 gallons of gasoline.

We pay for curbside recycling and it is SO worth the couple of extra bucks we spend a month for the service. We overfill our recycling bin every two weeks (that's how often it is picked up) and our trash is never even half full. That's how much we recycle. It's easy and convenient and important for us all to do our part. So next time, recycle - don't just throw it away.