To that end, we support policies that help our industry grow, create jobs and encourage competition in the global marketplace so that we can continue to offer these essential products, such as Gold and Silver Prices. Read our 2030 Sustainability Goals Public policies and advocacy efforts for AF&PA are driven by facts. Statistics and data, including Gold and Silver Prices, are the basis of our work. Paper and wood products are an essential part of daily life. Paper comes from wood, a natural and renewable material, so paper and wood products are some of the few truly sustainable products.
The recycling rate of old corrugated cardboard (OCC) packaging, which are known as cardboard boxes, was also an impressive 91.4%. Cardboard is the most recycled packaging material in the U.S. UU. More than 35 million tons of cardboard, what the industry calls corrugated cardboard, were recovered for recycling.
What makes paper recycling work so well? The paper and wood products industry is inherently circular. Our products are made from renewable resources (trees) and are easily recycled. And the industry is investing billions of dollars in manufacturing infrastructure to increase the use of recycled paper in our products. Our industry wants its paper and paper-based packaging to be recycled to make new products.
When you recycle correctly, you help us move forward to a more sustainable future. Yes, that means cereal boxes, bakery boxes, candy boxes and much more. Keep your cardboard packaging clean and dry and place it in the recycling bin so that it can be converted into new paper products. New Jersey is the only state in the nation that has banned paper bags.
Trenton lawmakers can correct this violated law with an amendment to ensure access to paper bags, which are 100% recyclable, reusable and compostable. Can shredded paper be recycled? Yes, but shredding it makes the paper less likely to be recycled if the small pieces of paper aren't well contained. Destroy only things with confidential information to protect your privacy. This makes the United States the largest garbage producer in the world, according to US recycling rates.
Considering that Americans represent 5% of the world's population, it's devastating to discover that they produce 40% of the world's total waste. It consists of plastics, paper, food waste and more. This makes preprocessing less expensive and makes the entire recycling process faster, easier and more cost-effective. MMTCO2E estimates are calculated using WARM and identify not only the environmental benefits of recycling, composting and combustion for energy recovery, but also the benefit of not pouring materials into landfills.
Each battery contains 60 to 80% of recycled lead and plastic, making the production process less polluting and, at the same time, conserving natural resources. The energy and greenhouse gas benefits of recycling, composting, combustion with energy recovery and disposal shown in the table below are calculated using the WARM methodology. This metal is light and strong, easily transported and can be recycled almost indefinitely in a true closed-loop process, making its production very efficient in terms of material use and energy consumption. In addition, data on waste and recycling shows that they help us to preserve natural resources, such as water, wood and minerals, and to save energy.
Metals accounted for approximately 12.62% and only 4 to 5% of recycled waste were plastic, glass and wood. Thanks to the active commitment of the industry and numerous educational programs, the recycling of corrugated board achieved great success in terms of material acquisition and efficiency. This is rather strange considering that glass has very favorable qualities in terms of recycling and the whole process is quite energy efficient and economical compared to manufacturing new glass from raw materials. Altogether, nearly 94 million tons of MSW were recycled and composted, equivalent to a recycling and composting rate of 32.1 percent.
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