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This is what happens when we DON'T recycle properly

Coastlines Struggle

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THE PROBLEM

The US only recycles about 9% of our plastic materials

which is significantly less than China (25%) and Europe (30%)

This means that 91% of that material eventually ends up in our Landfills or the Ocean.  

PLASTICS IN LANDFILLS

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AND

MIXING WITH RAINWATER TO PRODUCE

LEACHATE

A TOXIC BY PRODUCT

THAT CAN

LEACH THROUGH LANDFILL LINERS 

AND CONTAMINATE GROUNDWATER SOURCES AND EVENTUALLY

OUR OCEAN

IT CAN TAKE UP TO

1000 YEARS

FOR PLASTIC TO BREAK DOWN

IN LANDFILLS

WHILE

TAKING UP VALUABLE SPACE

ONCE IN THE OCEAN

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 

8 MILLION TONS

OF PLASTIC ENTER OUR OCEAN

EVERY YEAR

WHERE OCEAN CURRENTS

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TAKE THE PLASTIC TO 1 of 5 OCEAN GYRES

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THE PLASTICS BREAK INTO MICROPLASTICS

AND OVER TIME

WHICH ARE

EATEN BY FISH AND OTHER MARINE ANIMALS

AND EVENTUALLY

END UP ON OUR DINNER PLATES FOR US TO EAT

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THE SOLUTION

One of the most effective routes of stopping plastic pollution (in addition to reducing plastic usage) is to RECYCLE MORE!

Recycling not only helps divert plastic that would have been polluted, but it also gives new life to a product we once considered waste.

RECYCLING BY THE NUMBERS

Americans recycle about 12 Billion Bottles every year!

Recycling facilities can generate 7-10 more jobs compared to landfills and waste-to-energy plants.

It takes 22 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of virgin plastic, however it only takes 2/3 of a gallon to recycle 1 pound of plastic.

24

Producing 1 Ton of recycled plastic saves 5,774 Kwh of energy, compared to 1 Ton of Virgin plastic.

Recycling 1 ton of plastic saves 1.5 tons of CO2 Emission compared to producing 1 ton of virgin plastic.

More than 1,600 different businesses in the U.S. use post-consumer recycled plastic.

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As recycling collection, sorting, and processing improves, these numbers will also improve! The hope is to create a system where we continuously recycle plastic products, reducing the need to make virgin plastics. Recycling not only helps conserve natural resources, but also protects the health of creatures living on this planet, including us!

SOME RECYCLING RESOURCES!

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Walmart Recycling Playbook

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Kids' Recycling Guide

Calm Sea

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

Recycling 1 TON of plastic can save:

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42,000

GALLONS OF WATER

That's like flushing your toilet 26,250 times in a day!

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5,774

KwH OF ENERGY

That can power the average home for 6 months!

1.5

TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS

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That's 3 flights from Los Angeles to New York and back!

THE FUTURE

Improving the Recycling System, and reducing plastic pollution

TAKES ALL OF US

Not just one industry, one person, or one place

TRASH LESS & RECYCLE MORE BOTTLES

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By recycling the PET Plastic bottles we drink everyday, instead of throwing them in the trash, we are improving the recycling system

HOW? YOU MAY ASK

Recycling PET bottles not only keeps the bottles from going directly into a landfill or worse, the coastlines and oceans, but also, once at a recycling center, the bottles can turn into raw material used to create plastic products (like our food packaging) that would have used new (virgin) plastic, taking more natural resources to produce.

WHO CAN DO THIS?

EVERYONE! (even the critics)

USE MORE RECYCLED PLASTIC (rPET PCR)

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We can improve the recycling system by using more recycled plastic (rPET PCR) and ocean diverted plastic in our products

HOW? YOU MAY ASK

As we begin to use more recycled plastic as the raw material of our common plastic items, such as bottles or packages, the demand for that recycled material will increase. The only way for that demand to be met is to recycle more. Hopefully this will curb the production of virgin plastic as well as more and more products begin to use the recycled plastic material.

WHO CAN DO THIS?

Manufacturers of plastic or polyester products

Processors using plastic containers to pack their products

DEVELOP BETTER RECYCLING METHODS

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The best way to improve the system is by developing better and more efficient methods to collect, sort, and reprocess plastic waste.

HOW? YOU MAY ASK

As we improve the collection system, we can capture more materials that can be recyclable. Once captured, improving the sorting will sort out more less recyclable materials and allowed for reprocessing to have fewer contaminants. Reprocessing improvements will allow for higher yield and stronger material, all while using less resources.

WHO CAN DO THIS?

Plastic recyclers and manufacturers

Engineers, scientists, experts, industry leaders, students, etc.

MAKE RECYCLING MORE ACCESSIBLE

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Creating more accessible recycling areas will allow more people the chance to contribute to the recycling system. In addition to working with government agencies to create incentives for contributing to the recycling system.

HOW? YOU MAY ASK

One of the biggest impediments on the recycling system is accessibility. Not enough people have access to a proper recycling system. By creating more recycling facilities, or improving collection, we can make it more accessible. This can be even easier if we work with government agencies to create incentives (like the CRV for bottles) so that when you recycle your plastic you can get something in return (in addition to helping stop plastic pollution and save the environment)

WHO CAN DO THIS?

Elected Officials, Recyclers, Investors, Politicians, City Planners

Engineers, Architects, Designers, Contractors

MORE PLASTIC & RECYCLING EDUCATION

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As everyone's plastic and recycling education increases, we can make more informed and important decisions together, without outside influence, improving the recycling system.

HOW? YOU MAY ASK

One of the biggest challenges to the improvement of the recycling system is the amount of misinformation being spread and lack of correct information out there. If we are too truly improve the system we must educate everyone! This way everyone can know about what materials are recyclable and can be recycled, how to recycle them, and even where to do it. As more people are educated, then the chance for the misinformation to spread will decrease.

WHO CAN DO THIS?

Educators, Plastic Recyclers, Plastic Manufacturers, Scientists, Experts, Parents, Friends, Family

RECYCLING
AND USING RECYCLED PLASTIC CAN HELP CLEAN UP OUR ENVIRONMENT !

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