In recognition of the 49th Earth Day today, TC Recycling, LLC is joining individuals and organizations around the world in celebration of the earth and what can be done to preserve the planet. Earth Day, started in 1970, takes place every April 22 in a worldwide effort to save and nurture the environment of which recycling plays a crucial role.
“Earth Day brings the world together to celebrate our planet. Recycling is a vital component in the health of both the environment and the global economy. It is our hope that the role recycling plays in the preservation of the earth and its many resources will be recognized for generations to come,” said Elizabeth Bertha, EHS Director of the Vogel Holding Companies.
Each year, the U.S. scrap recycling industry processes 130 million metric tons of materials, thereby transforming society’s outdated and obsolete products and materials into useful raw materials needed to produce new products. In doing so, the scrap recycling industry has made great savings in both energy and natural resources and thus has had an extremely positive impact on our environment. Further, by purchasing products at the end of their life and processing them back into raw materials used to manufacture new products, scrap recycling reduces the need for virgin materials, such as iron ore, trees, and other natural resources. Recycling reduces energy consumption and the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change, while helping to maintain a steady supply of raw materials for the U.S. and global economies.
“Earth Day is a reminder of the important role we all play in protecting the earth and its precious resources,” said Robin Wiener, president of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). “Together with our members, ISRI serves as an environmental steward to not only promote recycling at all levels, but also educate future generations on the importance of recycling, and encourage manufacturers to design products with recycling and earth conservation in mind.”
A few examples of how recycling helps preserve the environment include:
- There is up to 88 percent reduction in energy consumption when producing recycled plastic compared to producing plastic from virgin materials.
- Recycling one ton of paper saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill.
- The nearly 130 million metric tons of commodities recycled in the U.S. last year saved the CO2 equivalent of 410 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
- On average, the United States processes enough ferrous scrap daily, by weight, to build 25 Eiffel Towers every day of the year.
TC Recycling, LLC is a member of ISRI, the Voice of the Recycling Industry™. ISRI represents 1,300 manufacturers and processors, brokers and industrial consumers of scrap commodities, including ferrous and nonferrous metals, paper, electronics, rubber, plastics, glass, and textiles.
You can learn more about our process and our commitment to recycling here.