Recycling Really Does Make A Difference
According to Crain’s (dead tree version, no link) Illinois landfill (unused) capacity is currently 1 billion cubic yards. My building generates 2 cubic yards a week, or about 100 a year. In 2006, Illinois landfills accepted 54.9 million cubic yards. That means my building generates .00002% of the waste in the state of Illinois. Interestingly Illinois recyclers report that they diverted 32.4 million cubic yards from the landfills. What does this all mean? Without recycling we have an excess of landfill of 11 years of garbage production, with recycling it is 19 years. It works!
Also, I recently discovered that “97.5% of structural steel beams and plates were recycled.[25] Other steel construction elements such as reinforcement bars are recycled at a rate of about 65%. (wiki)” Now if only we can make it so cost effective for other materials.