How does recycling translate into energy?

One of the lessons we try to teach regularly at Brave New Leaf is that recycling is important for more reasons than full landfills. One of the big reasons to recycle is that it saves energy.

"Meh," you say. "How much energy could it possibly save? Go on. Impress me."

Okay, we're up to the challenge. Here's the facts:

• Put one aluminum can in the recycling bin, and save enough energy to power your television for three hours.

• Need to run a 100-watt light bulb for four hours? Recycling one glass container will do it.

• Recycling one pound of #1 plastic saves enough energy to power a 13-watt CFL bulb left on continuously for a month and a half.

• For each pound of paper you recycle, you save enough energy to run your insanely power-hungry Xbox360 for nearly a full day. Note the average household goes through about 7 pounds of paper a week (largely via their snail mail).

Facts courtesy of the EPA website.

Comments

[Lauren]

Great facts! I'm a big fan of recyling and knew that it reduced resource use, but it's also nice to see the energy benefits.

[greenteen]

Look what I just found out about (even though it happened in March!)! San Francisco has banned plastic bags!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/28/SFSUPES.TMP

[Peggy]

Oh, I hate XBoxes. I am not a video game nerd.

Reuse does have recycle beat any day though!

[Alex]

Good to know, but it doesn't tell HOW it translates into energy...