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Doing your part to reduce your waste, reuse items when possible and recycle materials when appropriate, helps lessen your impact on our environment. We’ve put together 10 fun facts about recycling to make sure you know it really is worth the extra effort.

Every time a ton of paper is recycled it saves 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4,000 kilowatts of energy and 7,000 gallons of water. (Source: 32trash.org) Recycling just a single aluminum can saves enough energy to catch up on your favorite album on your music device and recycling 100 aluminum cans saves enough energy to keep the lights on in your bedroom for two weeks. (Source: goevergreenllc.com) There are over 80 billion aluminum cans used each and every year around the world. You can recycle aluminum over and over again. (Source: conserve-energy-future.com) Making new paper from recycled materials uses less energy than producing paper from virgin tree products and leaves more trees to absorb excess carbon dioxide. (Source: rubiconglobal.com) There will be 1.5 million new jobs generated in the U.S. when U.S. recycling levels reach 75 percent. (Source: Recycle Across America) Also, when U.S. recycling levels reach 75 percent, it will be the environmental and CO2 equivalent of removing 55 million cars from U.S. roads each year. (Source: Recycle Across America) Making recycled paper instead of new paper uses 64 percent less energy and uses 58 percent less water. (Source: 32trash.org) A single recycled plastic bottle saves enough energy to run a 100-watt bulb for 4 hours. It also creates 20% less air pollution and 50% less water pollution than would be created when making a new bottle. (Source: rubiconglobal.com) Americans use more than 67 million tons of paper per year, or about 580 pounds per person. (Source: 32trash.org) You can make 20 new aluminum cans from recycled material using the same amount of energy that it takes to make 1 brand new aluminum can. (Source: rubiconglobal.com)