| Analysis Municipal solid waste (MSW) and basic recycling According to the EPA, in 2007, almost 45 percent of the municipal solid waste comprised of paper and plastic (before recycling). Paper was first at 32.7% and plastic was fourth at 12.1% of the total 254 million tons generated that year. Second and third place were yard trimmings at 12.8% and food scraps at 12.5% (“Recycling Paper”) (see Figure 1).  Figure 1. Municipal solid waste in the US in 2007 Current recycling efforts managed to recycle 55% of the 83 million tons of paper products used in 2007. That is approximately 45 million tons. The data regarding plastic is not as impressive. Less than 7% of the plastic was recycled (“Recycling Plastic”). Benefits of paper recycling Recycling paper not only saves considerable space in our landfills, but it also saves energy. Some waste paper is burned in incinerators which releases large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The more paper that is recycled, the less carbon dioxide is released from incinerators or the less methane is released from landfills. Additionally, recycling paper uses far less energy than making virgin paper products. The EPA says that “Recycling one ton of paper would:
Recycling plastics is not as simple as recycling paper. There are several different types of plastic which have to be recycled in different manners. The two that are most commonly found in household trash are Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and High-density polyethylene (HDPE). Soda bottles are normally made of PET and milk jugs are normally made of HDPE. Data from the EPA shows that PET and HDPE were recycled in 2007 at the rates of 37 percent and 28 percent respectively (“Recycling Plastic”) (see figure 2).  Figure 2. Percentage of PET and HDPE recycled Much of the recycled plastic is used in carpet fibers and other textiles, as well as plastic bottles. The two main benefits of recycling plastic are the saving of landfill space and fewer natural resources needed to produce virgin plastic. Quantifying the benefits The Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia published a report saying that “the average American household’s footprint is 20.4 tons of carbon dioxide.” They continue by saying that when a household recycles half of their waste, it can save 2400 pounds of carbon dioxide (“Reducing Your Carbon Footprint.”). The results of recycling are very measurable. Additionally, EPA figures show that 85 billion tons of MSW were recycled in 2007. The energy equivalent saved by this is the amount of energy in 10.7 billion gallons of gasoline. This is equal to the amount of GHG emissions generated by 35 million passenger vehicles. For every 100 tons of paper that is thrown away, the impact in Metric Tons of Carbon Equivalent (MTCE) on waste management is 62 MTCE. When half of this is recycled, the impact is -3 MTCE. That is a net GHG emissions savings of -65 MTCE (“Climate Change and Waste”) (see figure 3).  Figure 3. Waste Management impact in MTCE of 100 tons of paper Another report by the EPA states that if the average American “family of four were to recycle all of its mixed plastic waste, nearly 340 pounds of carbon equivalent emissions could be reduced each year (“Recycling Plastic”)”. Economic benefits of recycling The economic benefit of recycling is two-fold. When products are recycled, it provides a greater opportunity for individuals and businesses to buy products made from recycled material. Products made from recycled material are typically less expensive so there is the cost saving factor. The other economic benefit is the amount of jobs that are created in the recycling industry. Detailed information about this industry includes:
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