The Keep America Beautiful America Recycles Day is the only nationally-recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. Held on and around Nov. 15, America Recycles Day educates and encourages individuals on how to be more mindful of what they consume, where and how to properly recycle, and to pledge to recycle more and recycle right in their everyday lives.
The recycling rate has increased from less than 7 percent in 1960 to the current rate of over 35 percent. An EPA Recycling Economic Information (REI) Study in 2016 study found that in a single year, recycling and reuse activities in the United States accounted for:
- 757,000 jobs
- $36.6 billion in wages; and
- $6.7 billion in tax revenues.
America Recycles Day is one day a year reserved for the education of recycling and how to be more mindful of what we consume, to reuse as much as possible, repurpose items, and where and how to properly recycle. EPA’s listed benefits of recycling:
- Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators
- Conserves natural resources such as timber, water and minerals
- Increases economic security by tapping a domestic source of materials
- Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials
- Saves energy
- Supports American manufacturing and conserves valuable resources
- Helps create new well-paying jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries in the United States
Whether you’re at home, on the go, or in the office, there are many opportunities to go green by reducing, reusing and recycling. Not sure how to recycle common items? Visit this link published by the EPA to learn how to recycle items such as batteries, used oil, tires and more.
Are you located in the greater Richmond area and not sure how to recycle common items? Visit the CVWMA’s Recycling Wizard online for specific locations to recycle common items such as electronics, paints, lawnmowers, and more.