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The Impact of Recycling!
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is the accumulation of everyday office, household and retail trash. While recycling these small items may seem insignificant, they add up considerably. Approximately 27.4 percent of landfill consists of paper and paperboard, while 14.5 percent is food waste. Surprisingly, yard trimming and plastics constitute 13.5 percent and 12.7 percent, respectively. Metals, rubber, leather and textiles add another 8.9 and 8.7 percent, and wood and glass make up 6.3 and 4.6 percent. When you figure that Americans generate 251 million tons of waste annually nationwide, each person contributes significantly to the amount of MSW. In fact, one person generates 4.38 pounds of waste per day. The average household produces 11.43 pounds of MSW daily. In one year, the average amount of waste created per household is 4,172 pounds, which is equivalent to the weight of a rhinoceros. However, approximately 75 percent of national MSW is recyclable. That percentage equals 188 million tons of waste. Unfortunately, Americans only…