Green Eco Services

Seed Starting – Save Money & Help Mother Earth by Using Recycled Items

Cathy — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:25:27 +0000

Photo: www.tahoeparadiserealty.com

Recycling containers and other items to help get a head start on the growing season shouldn’t be too hard for anyone to do. If you look at every food container that you usually place in your recycling bin or throw away, you will begin to see potential pots, planters or mini-greenhouses everywhere.

As example, so many food items and fresh produce come in little plastic baskets or nifty hinged clear plastic containers that are just begging to be reused! Think about the woven plastic baskets that strawberries come in. These can be used as sinkable planters that allow you to start the seeds and then transplant the sprouts into the ground without ever having to disturb the sprouts’ roots. Or how about those plastic containers that have a clear top that snaps onto, or is hinged to, the bottom section? These type containers can become instant little greenhouses, lending the perfect solution to helping get seeds sprouting and growing in an ideal environment. All you have to do is add soil, enough moisture, warmth, and light.

Some Great Ideas to Help Give Your Seeds an Early Head Start

It’s not just plastic containers that can be recycled. Here are a few of the many great ideas you’ll find in “The Shoestring Gardener“ book:

Egg cartons: Either the pressed cardboard or pressed foam kind, though a foam carton works better as it doesn’t wick away water from the soil. First, cut off the top lid to use as a drainage tray. Then, poke 3 to 4 holes in the bottom of each little cup with a toothpick. Fill each cup with potting soil, plant your seeds and then water.

The only issue to be aware of is that most longer-root plants may not grow well in the shallow cups. And don’t put too many seeds into each cup as again, there isn’t a lot of extra growing room in the cups once the plants get growing.

Plastic baggies and paper towels for quick germination: Just place the seeds of one kind of plant onto one half of a dampened paper towel; then fold over the other half to cover the seeds. Place the damp paper towel into a baggie (a zip lock type works best), seal shut and place in a warm spot, such as on top of the refrigerator, to aid in a more rapid germination of the seeds. Keep an eye on the seeds because once you see little roots and tiny top growth sprouting, it’s time to transfer the sprouts into small containers to grow some more before placing out in your garden.
Use empty cardboard toilet paper rolls. Cut about six slits around one edge, about 1-inch straight down into the tube. Then, carefully fold over each section made by the slits. This will form a bottom in the tube to hold in the soil. These can be placed directly into the soil, just like newspaper pots.

Or, don’t bother to make a closed bottom end. Simply hold a roll in one hand, with the open bottom against the palm of your hand. Then, using your other hand, fill the roll with an inch or two of moistened soil, tamping it down firmly with your fingers or other blunt object. This method is usually sufficient to hold the soil in place. Experiment and see which way works best for you.

Brown lunch bags make great pots to use when dealing with plants that really can’t tolerate being disturbed in order to transplant them into the garden. Turn down the top edge a time or two to make it the desired height; next, using a cooking spray made from canola or olive oil, spray the inside of the bag generously; let air dry; fill with good soil or compost; and plant your seeds. Then, when it’s time to place them in the garden, just dig a hole and place the entire “pot” into the soil. The bags will easily decompose.

Claudia F. Brownlie is an advocate of eco-friendly gardening methods. She recently released her newest book “The Shoestring Gardener” – A Compendium of Hundreds of Eco-Friendly, Creatively Frugal Gardening How-Tos, Remedies, and Tips. You can learn about making hypertufa objects in her book “The Hypertufa How-To Manual.” She’s also the chief gardener and DIY garden art project expert at her popular website “The-Artistic-Garden.com.” You can Twitter Claudia at @ecogardengirl.

The Shoestring Gardener – http://www.shoestringgardener.com

The Hypertufa How-To Manual – http://www.hypertufabooks.com

The-Artistic-Garden.com – http://www.the-artistic-garden.com

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ReUse Pallet Wood- Make Chairs

Cathy — Sun, 06 May 2012 14:39:56 +0000

We love free stuff and being able to creatively use free stuff, like pallet wood to reuse is a great thing. Pallet wood is almost always free and thrown away, ending up in landfills.. Rob Crawford has started his own business Pallet Chairs, What I like is the portability. You can take to the soccer game, to the beach, and they are easily stored..

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24 Exciting Stats on Green Job Growth

Cathy — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:00:50 +0000

Hydropower is estimated to have the potential of adding 1.4 million jobs by 2025
Every state has the potential to create hydropower projects, from ocean water, streams, or pumped storage water, meaning plants all over the country could be created and staffed with workers.
The government has created a $2 million green job competition for veterans
In March 2010, the government announced it would allocate $2 million toward grants for training military veterans in industries like bio-fuels, renewable electric power, energy-efficient construction, and more.
The green construction industry will add 2.3 million workers to its labor force
According to the U.S. Green Building Council, green construction employed more than 1 million people from 2000 to 2008. This number is expected to rise to 3.3 million by 2013, about a 230% increase. Nearly half of American solar power firms plan to hire more workers: In August 2011, almost half of 2,100 solar power companies surveyed said they plan to add an expected 24,000 jobs by August 2012.
The solar industry job growth rate is 6.8%
Compared to the fossil fuel industry’s negative growth rate of 2%, the nearly 7% growth in solar power jobs, including manufacturing and installation, is very promising.
Tennessee will see the creation of 10,000 new green jobs by 2014
A handful of companies like Volkswagen and Nissan Leaf and Storage Battery Manufacturing will help the state continue to see an 8% growth rate annually, with jobs like energy brokers and solar installation managers becoming available.
Ohio could see 23,000 new auto industry jobs in the next 10 years
A recent report by non-profit research group Ceres found that because of new federal regulations for fuel efficiency, hiring will increase by automakers and companies that make fuel-efficient tech.
The geothermal industry has added 7,000 jobs and counting since 2008
Executive Director of the Geothermal Energy Association Karl Gawell estimated in 2011 that new geothermal construction projects, which have no fuel costs and produce very little CO2, will add another 3,000 jobs in California, Nevada, and elsewhere.
The bio-fuel sector could produce 807,000 jobs by 2022
The Biotechnology Industry Organization said in late 2011 that the bio-fuel industry could produce hundreds of thousands of jobs while lowering U.S. oil imports by $70 billion.
Knoxville, Tennessee’s green jobs grew by 14.6% annually from 2003 to 2010
In 2009 alone, Knoxville added more than 16,000 green jobs, helping lower the unemployment rate to 7.7% for the city, a full two points lower than the rest of the state.
The green industry in the U.S. now employs 3.1 million workers
Green jobs now outnumber jobs in the fossil fuels industry (although some have taken issue with the definition of “green job” used in the calculation).
In Little Rock, Arkansas 11,933 green jobs were created in 2010
Being home to clean-tech companies like LM Wind Power and CLEAResult Consulting helped Arkansas’ capital become one of the fastest-growing cities in America for green jobs.
President Obama’s Recovery Act of 2009 invested $90 billion in clean energy
This money has already helped sponsor 40 clean-tech projects that will eventually employ upwards of 60,000 people.
With more than 28,000, Albany has the highest concentration of green jobs in the country
One out of every 15 workers in and around Albany has a clean job, or 6.7%, thanks in large part to the business of GE, which houses many of its clean-tech operations in Schenectady.
The U.S. is only tapping 20% of its hydropower capacity
There is much, much more room for job growth in hydropower because out of the 500 gigawatt capacity, the U.S. is only making use of 100 gigawatts.
The Dept. of Energy’s Loan Guarantee Program will help create 10 times the number of the failed Keystone Pipeline
And what’s even more exciting is that the DOE program will cost taxpayers $2 billion less than originally expected.
Jobs for the Future is expanding green job training in seven cities across the country
Funded with $38 million from the Dept. of Labor, JFF will equip workers with skills necessary for the green industry, adding thousands of jobs to Boston, Chicago, Detroit, and more.
Worldwide, the green energy sector could create 20 million to 30 million jobs by 2030
And that’s just the energy sector of green technology. This many jobs would inject trillions of dollars into a struggling world economy.
North Carolina’s green industry grew by 700 companies from 2009 to 2010
Job figures are certain to increase in “The Triangle,” the nickname applied to the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area, which already has one of the highest totals of green jobs in the country.
California is projected to spawn more than 200,000 jobs by 2020
A 2011 report by The Donald Vial Center on Employment in the Green Economy stated that energy efficiency policies will produce 211,000 skilled, high-paying jobs and more than $11 billion in revenue for the state.
The number of green jobs in Toledo, Ohio have gone up 72% since 2003
The city added 4,000 jobs during the period, and in one 18-month period the jobs helped lower unemployment nearly four percentage points.
Organic farmers’ markets rose 17% in 2010 alone
A key part of the green movement is locally sourced, organic food. Farmers had plenty of work in 2010, as the markets’ surge in popularity swelled their numbers to 7,175 across the nation.
Des Moines, Iowa is growing in green jobs at 11.4% per year
Since 2003, more than 2,500 green jobs have been created, moving the city’s total to over 5,200 green industry jobs and helping keep unemployment low.
Albuquerque lowered unemployment 2.6% in 2010 thanks to green jobs
The city’s 9,000-plus clean-tech jobs at manufacturing companies like Advent Solar and Schott AG have helped make it a hub of environmentally-friendly work.
Ogden, Utah has been growing at a rate of 8.6% for new green jobs each year
The 927 jobs the Ogden area has added in recent years are thanks to openings created at green companies like recycling company American Specialty Glass Inc. and green manufacturer W.R. Grace & Co.

Reprinted with permission from online degreesSimilar Posts:

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Staples Offers Free Electronic Recycling

Cathy — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:00:12 +0000

www.recyclescene.com

This is great news, now we don’t have to wait for an electronic recycling event to get rid of old stuff.

PALO ALTO, Calif., FRAMINGHAM, Mass., April 18, 2012 – HP (NYSE: HPQ), the world’s largest technology company, together with Staples, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS), the world’s largest office products company and second largest e-commerce company, today announced free electronics recycling for all brands of office technology at Staples stores nationwide. Consumers and small businesses can responsibly recycle their electronics every day at Staples locations nationwide (1), regardless of where the devices were purchased.

“HP is a leader in the technology industry in product reuse and recycling,” said Gabi Zedlmayer, vice president of sustainability and social innovation, HP. “We recently celebrated reaching our goal of recycling 2 billion pounds of electronic products and HP supplies since 1987 and our collaboration with Staples will build upon this achievement and focus on increasing electronics recycling in all states.”

The Staples technology recycling program, powered by HP, accepts all brands of the following electronics for free (2):

Desktop PCs, laptops, netbooks, tablet PCs, external hard drives and small servers
All computer monitors
Printers, desktop copiers, faxes and all-in-one devices
Mice, keyboards, modems/routers networking and PC speakers
Shredders, streaming devices, phones and Universal Power Supply (UPS battery backup)
Mobile phones, GPS devices, MP3 players, digital camcorders and digital cameras

“Staples free tech recycling program will help increase the number of electronic products that are safely recycled,” said Mark Buckley, vice president of environmental affairs, Staples. “As a trusted source for office solutions, Staples is making it easy for consumers to responsibly recycle electronics for free every day at our stores. We are excited to work with HP on this initiative as part of our ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.”

Customers can drop off their technology for recycling at the service desk of their local Staples store. Staples will take advantage of its world-class logistics networks to collect the devices and consolidate them at its distribution centers. A certified e-stewards® and an R2 recycler will then arrange to have the materials transported to its processing centers.

Additional information is available at HP’s and Staples websites at www.hp.com/us/go/recycling or http://www.staples.com/recycle.

About Staples

Staples is the world’s largest office products company and a trusted source for office solutions. The company provides products, services and expertise in office supplies, copy & print, technology, facilities and breakroom, and furniture. Staples invented the office superstore concept in 1986 and now has annual sales of $25 billion, ranking second in the world in eCommerce sales. With 88,000 associates worldwide, Staples operates in 26 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia, making it easy for businesses of all sizes, and consumers. The company is headquartered outside Boston. More information about Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS) is available at www.staples.com/media.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

(1) All Staples locations in the U.S. except for Staples Copy and Print Shops participate in this program.

(2) Staples does not accept televisions, appliances, alkaline batteries, floor model copiers/printers, large servers, audio/visual equipment, or certain other household electronics (kitchen electrics, etc.). There is a limit of 6 items per customer per day in most states.Similar Posts:

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8 Reclaimed Wood Furniture Ideas

Cathy — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:30:48 +0000

Reclaimed wooden furniture has become an incredibly popular trend in interior design. Rustic style and the appeal of recycling materials make it easy to see why this trend is on the rise. I hope you find these examples as inspiring as I do.

The beautiful reclaimed wood dining table fits in well with the hardwood floors in this room. The sparkling chandelier and stenciled wall are very chic additions.

The slab of solid walnut used for this bed’s headboard brings a gorgeous natural beauty to the room. The rich tones of the wood pick up on the color of the red brick wall.

This rustic reclaimed wooden table and chairs preserve the natural shape of the wood. The twinkling chandelier above adds a whimsical element.

A simple row of reclaimed wood can be used to create a particularly handsome and rugged work of wall art. The wood coffee table is a perfect addition to this living room.

Reclaimed bits of painted wood can be used to create fun and rustic coffee table, like these. The jigsaw pattern is clever and artistic, too.

This spacious home is filled with reclaimed wood, from the door frames to the dining table. Silver pendant lights add a great modern contrast to the rustic barn atmosphere.

This stunning table is a work of art in its own right. The many layers of different pieces of wood, recycled into one table, are so impressive.

The reclaimed planks used to decorate this wall create a wonderful contrast between appearances and “what’s underneath.” The effect is certainly eye-catching and a great way to create a focal point in a room.

Which of these pieces was your favorite? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to stop by here for a brilliant wall sconce or pendant light to brighten your home!

Submitted by guest writer Jessica, a writer for Arcadian Lighting, which is a great online source for affordable and beautiful light fixtures of all shapes and sizes. Similar Posts:

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The Sunflower: A heliostat that can provide light to all the corners of your home

Cathy — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:50:43 +0000

Sunlight is an abundant resource of natural energy which, if used at its optimum, can provide us unlimited energy as an alternative resource. Sunlight has been used for various reasons by mankind since times immemorial and in the modern times, we have combined this vast resource with technology to manufacture some innovative devices for harnessing solar energy.

One such device is the heliostat, which is very efficient in places where sunlight is present in abundance. The heliostat is actually a device that is motorized and has mirrors affixed to it. This device follows the sun’s movement and reflects the sunlight to its target that is predetermined such as a solar cooker, a window and so on.

At present, it is conveniently used for industrial purposes for generating electricity primarily.

However Wikoda, located in Massachusetts, has given a new dimension to the heliostat and has redesigned it and christened it ‘Sunflower’ – which is a very apt name as the device follows the movement of the sun much like the flower.

The main function of the Sunflower is for providing daylight and this smart device comprises of motion servos, sun sensors as well as a microprocessor. This device is pretty much easy to install and can be set up on a yard or a fence post that is accessible to direct sunlight.

If you have neither of these, then a PVC stand can be bought for the same. Once installed, the Sunflower starts to follow the course of the sun and reflect energy to its target and works on it effectively. The reflective surface of the Sunflower is 5.38 square feet and it redirects approximately 50,000 lumens of sunlight. This makes the Sunflower a very efficient device that can be used in a variety of applications as it no longer is restricted to only providing electricity.

The price of the Sunflower Home Heliostat is a reasonable $399 (which does not include the stand which is priced at an additional $50). Apart from providing daylight, the Sunflower can be used for various applications such as melting icy rooftops and sidewalks, flowerbeds, drying wet laundry, drying up wet woodpiles and so on. The Sunflower is an innovative device that has reinvented the traditional heliostat with many more capabilities and advantages. No longer will the heliostat be relegated for industrial purposes, as the Sunflower has given it a new angle which makes it a great device for homes as well with its countless usages!

About the author: Claudia is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on luxury and technology. She recently read an article on corner sofa bed that attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on bosch tankless water heater.

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ecoHow To Build Furniture From Used Chopsticks

Cathy — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:00:44 +0000

The other nite, we went out to dinner and I forgot my chopsticks. After doing a post on how many trees are killed to make chopsticks, I started taking my own chopsticks to restaurants or used a fork!

How many chopsticks get wasted every day in your city? That was the question Barcelona-based designers Loida and Hernâni of Timtimxtimtim were trying to answer when they asked one Chinese restaurant to give them all their used chopsticks at the end of a weekend. So what to do with all 640 chopsticks?

In this video, they show us the shelving they created for their books and cds, using just the chopsticks and some old doors (found on the street).We also have videos with Timtimxtimtim and how they make furniture from used cardboard and a mirror from discarded cds.

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Trash To Treasure Recycling Contest- Win An iPad2

Cathy — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:00:10 +0000

I received this and thought I would pass it on for creative people, an opportunity to win an iPad 2.

www.squidoo.com

With growing concerns about landfill waste, consumption of resources and the future of our planet, many people are turning to the concept of “upcycling” or converting post-consumer waste into new, useful materials and products. In fact, the number of upcycled products for sale on the e-commerce website Etsy has increased from about 7,900 in January 2010 to nearly 207,000 as of March 2012.

In celebration of Earth Day next month, Jaga Climate Systems, creators of the “Play” radiator and a leading manufacturer of highly designed, energy-efficient climate control systems, is calling upon green, craft and design enthusiasts to submit pictures of their upcycled creations for its “Trash to Treasure” contest…. and stake their claim to an iPad 2.

For more information about Jaga and the contest, please reference Jaga’s Pinterest account (http://pinterest.com/jaganamerica/), contest rules provided on Jaga’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/pages/Jaga/310081999049360), and the press release below, which is embargoed until March 15th. F Jaga Climate Systems Debuts “Trash to Treasure” Upcycling Contest

Official Press Release

TORONTO – (March 15, 2012) – Before your old belongings find a new home in the dumpster, breathe new life into them for the chance to win big and reduce your environmental impact. Jaga Climate Systems, a leading manufacturer of high-quality, energy-efficient climate control systems, today announced its “Trash to Treasure” contest. From now through April 16, members of the public are encouraged to submit their most creative projects made through “upcycling,” the conversion of waste materials into new products or materials to Jaga’s Facebook page. On Earth Day, the project with the most “likes” will be named the winner and will receive an iPad 2, valued at $499.

“At Jaga, we embrace artistic expression and are dedicated to creating unique heating and cooling solutions that use fewer raw materials,” said Bert Kriekels, Executive Director, Jaga Climate Systems. “The ‘Trash to Treasure’ contest allows us to discover new uses for old materials and share the benefits that upcycling can have on the environment.”

Upcycling reduces the consumption of raw materials by using post-consumer waste in alternative ways. Since 1960, the amount of annual waste generated by Americans has nearly tripled, to 250 million tons. More than half of this material ends up in landfills, with only 34 percent recovered through recycling or composting. From coffee grounds to shipping pallets to plastic bottles, consumers can reduce their environmental footprint by transforming what at first glance looks like trash into “green” treasures.

“Reusing goods keeps materials out the waste stream, preserves valuable resources and reduces pollution,” added Kriekels. “We are excited to see how others are inspired to upcycle and transform what they currently have into a ‘must-have’ item or idea.”

For more information about home heating solutions from Jaga Climate Systems, please visit www.jaga-usa.com.

For official “Trash to Treasure” contest rules, to enter a project or to vote for submissions, visit the Jaga Facebook page.

About Jaga Climate Systems

Headquartered in Waterloo, Canada, Jaga Climate Systems is the Canadian division of Jaga International. Founded in 1962, Jaga International is one of the world’s leading specialists in the manufacture of award-winning, energy-saving heating solutions. Each year, Jaga produces more than one million feet of wall-mounted and trench heating featuring its unique Low-H2O technology. Active in over 40 countries, Jaga has been part of some of the world’s most acclaimed building projects.Similar Posts:

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Are E-Textbooks an Environmentally Sustainable Option?

Cathy — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:00:53 +0000

www.scottmarlowe.com

For people who love environmentally friendly products, e-readers pose a quandary. On one hand, they are filled with hard-to-recycle parts; on the other hand, they save the need to use trees to create more print books. A new trend in the industry, putting textbooks into digital formats, has added a new element to this discussion. Now, e-readers are becoming an environmentally friendly option, especially for college students or parents of college students.

Recently, the New York Times reported on this trend. While many books are being sold in digital copies now, textbooks have been lagging behind other types of books. Yet textbooks are starting to make a dent in the e-book field. While the majority of textbooks are still read on paper, the iPad and Kindle are working hard to make digital textbooks a viable option. Through services like rental digital books or texts that can be stored in the Cloud, more and more students are starting to see the benefit of digital textbooks.

One of those benefits is the ability to add interactive elements to textbooks. With the NOOK study app, for instance, not only can the user read texts online, but they can also write notes, search multiple books at the same time, highlight text, and save bits of text for later reference. Students may prefer these digital texts because they could save students money, and with more students enrolled in distance or online degree programs, interactive texts offer students an enhanced, hands-on experience similar to a traditional classroom.

this.org

But the question remains: Are digital textbooks more environmentally friendly than print options? Environmental activists often argue that the electronic parts in the e-readers are more damaging to the environment than print books, particularly because most readers usually buy a print book, read it and sometimes pass it on to another person, or they just wait until it gets to their library and not buy it at all.

Additionally the carbon footprint of most e-readers is quite high, and while an e-reader may have a long user life, many consumers choose to upgrade before their e-readers have stopped working. In a report on Triple Pundit, the CEO of Eco-Libris (Reference 2) indicated that it takes about 40 books for the carbon footprint of an e-reader to be offset by the books it saves. For the average consumer, this can mean many years before the product becomes a more eco-friendly option than print books.

But textbooks are a different story. Students who take a class must have a textbook in order to do well in the class. Some students will be able to sell their texts to other students, but the textbooks get updated so quickly that this type of recycling can only happen for a year or two. The result is hundreds of thousands of texts that students no longer need, and those books are not the small paperback novels a typical consumer reads. They are long, thick textbooks that make a huge dent in the production of paper worldwide.

In light of this, e-readers may be a more environmentally friendly option for textbooks. In spite of the waste they produce and the difficulty in recycling them at the end of their life, the new market for digital textbooks can help lower our overall consumption of paper, thus making them something those who love the environment can stand behind.

Lindsey Paho is a writer and editor living in Indianapolis. She writes on behalf of Colorado Technical University.Similar Posts:

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Reuse Soda Tabs: Make Jewelry

Cathy — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:00:05 +0000

Another fun ecoHow on how to make your own jewelry reusing pull tabs and a bit of ribbon.

I just gotta Eco Ya: This came from the Can Manufacturers Institute (who should know)

Recycling aluminum cans saves 95 percent of the energy used to make aluminum cans from virgin ore.
In 1972, 53 million pounds of aluminum cans were recycled. Today, that amount is exceeded by 1,612 million pounds.
Aluminum cans distinguish themselves as the most recycled and most recyclable beverage container in the world. An awesome 105,784 cans are recycled every minute nationwide.
Used aluminum cans are recycled and returned to a store shelf as a new can in as few as 60 days. That means a consumer could purchase basically the same recycled aluminum can from a retailer’s shelf nearly every 9 weeks or 6 times a year.
The weight of 1,665 million pounds of aluminum cans recycled in 2001 was equal to the weight of 14 aircraft carriers.
Americans earn about $1 billion a year recycling aluminum cans. A used aluminum can returned to a recycling center is worth about a penny to consumer recyclers.
For each pound of aluminum recovered, Americans save the energy resources needed to generate about 7.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity. That’s enough energy saved each year by recycling aluminum to meet the lighting needs of a city the size of Pittsburgh, PA for six years.
Beverage containers represent less than 20 percent of the materials collected in curbside recycling programs and they generate up to 70 percent of total scrap value. Aluminum cans are the most valuable commodity to curbside programs helping to pay for the collection of other containers.
Aluminum can recycling rate is better than 1 out of 2 cans.
Recycling diverted 1.7 billion pounds from landfills.
Using recycled aluminum beverage cans to produce new cans allows the aluminum can industry to make up to 20 times more cans for the same amount of energy.
It’s estimated that since 1972 some 18.7 million tons of aluminum have been recycled. These 1,099 billion aluminum cans placed end-to-end could stretch to the moon and back some 174 times.
Aluminum cans have amazing strength. Four six-packs (24 cans) can hold a 4,000-pound aluminum-bodied sedan.
In 2003, Americans recycled 62.6 billion aluminum cans. Those cans, placed end-to-end, could make 171 circles around the earth.
America recycled enough aluminum cans last year to stretch to the moon and back 8 times.
Since 1972 Americans have recycled 37 billion lbs. or 1,099 trillion aluminum cans and earned over $25 billion by recycling aluminum beverage cans.
Every minute of everyday, an average of 105,800 aluminum cans are recycled.
When you think it is hot, consider the following: Did you know that aluminum begins to melt at a whopping 1220 degrees Fahrenheit
Over the past 10 years, the number of aluminum cans recycled has doubled
The average employee consumes 2.5 cans of soda each day at work.
Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours.
Enough aluminum cans were recycled in 2002 to fill a hollow Empire State Building 24 times.
Each year Americans receive enough money from recycling aluminum cans that every kid in the U.S. could buy two movie tickets.
The number of cans recycled every 30 seconds equals the number of people who could fill an entire pro football stadium.
Every 3 seconds a baby is born. In that time, 140 cans were born.
If the 2003 Corvette convertible was on a seesaw, it would take 107,214 used aluminum cans on the other side to balance the car.
In 2001, beverage cans delivered 9,409 billion gallons of pure refreshing beverage—enough to fill 37,634 Olympic pools.
10,433 empty aluminum beverage cans weigh as much as Shaq O’Neal.
In 2001, Americans bought 351 aluminum beverage cans per person, twice as many as in 1980.
The average American family recycles 150 six packs of aluminum cans a year.
Used aluminum cans are melted down into ingots that can weigh as much as 30,000 tons. That’s enough aluminum to make 1.6 million cans.
Aluminum never wears out, it can be recycled forever.
Americans drink an average of 380 beverages in aluminum cans each year.
Recycling 1 aluminum can saves enough electricity to run your TV for 6 Jimmy Neutron Episodes.
If Californians recycled all the aluminum cans they buy in one day, we would have enough aluminum to make 17 Boeing 727 jets.
Recycling 1 ton of aluminum saves the equivalent in energy of 2,350 gallons of gasoline. This is equivalent to the amount of electricity used by the typical home over a period of 10 years.
The energy saved each year through recycled cans could light the city of Washington, DC for 3.7 years.
All aluminum cans recycled since 1972 would stretch from New York to Los Angeles and back 15,939 times.
Recycling aluminum creates 97% less water pollution than producing new metal from ore

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