Everyone knows that recycling helps the environment by reducing trash and saving space in our landfills, but did you know that recycling also saves energy?

• Producing new products from recycled materials uses about a quarter of the energy that is needed to make the same products from raw materials.

• Recycling one glass jar saves enough energy to light a standard 100-watt light bulb for four hours.

• Recycling one aluminum can saves enough electricity to run a TV for three hours.

What Can You Recycle?

Look for the recycle symbol, a design of three arrows that make up a circle. This symbol is located on the bottoms of bottles, cans, and jars that can be recycled. The three arrows in the symbol stand for the three steps in the recycling process in which recyclable materials are (1) collected, (2) manufactured into new items, and (3) sold to consumers.

If your community does not pick up recyclable materials from your home, ask your family to take them to a nearby recycling center.

Reduce and Reuse, Too!

Here are some ways you can reduce waste and reuse items. Can you think of others?

• If you bring your lunch to school, pack it in a lunch box or reusable cloth bag.

• Try using both sides of every sheet of paper, cutting paper into smaller squares for notes, reusing envelopes, and other paper-saving techniques.

• When you shop, ask your parents to buy bulk products (products sold in large quantities) to save on packaging. You can bring your own bags for some bulk products.

• Give away your old toys and books instead of throwing them away.

Recycle Newspapers, Save Trees

Americans throw away the equivalent of more than 30 million trees in newsprint each year. Thirty million trees would fill more than 17,000 acres. That's the size of 200 Disneylands!

Recycle your old newspapers. Recycling one 4-foot-high stack of newspapers will save a good-sized tree.