Unlike Thanksgiving or Black Friday, there’s a November holiday that doesn’t get enough recognition-National Recycling Day on the 15th! In today’s world of mass production and consumption, most people forget about how much waste goes into the environment. Americans create 64 tons of garbage in their lifetime. That adds up to 246 million tons of waste sent to landfills each year. America Recycles Day helps create awareness of climate change and encourages Americans to recycle more. End-of-life vehicles are also part of the recycling process and You Call We Haul is here to help you get rid of your old car!
History
Recycling isn’t at all the new trend you think it is. The relationship between reusable resources and recycling has been very significant since modern history. During WWII, recycling played a huge role in the war effort from the homefront. Scrap metal and second hand materials became increasingly important to create an inventory of resources for the U.S. army.
Today, environmentalism has grown within the country. People are more aware and are urging others to preserve resources, reuse goods, and reduce waste. The words “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” are now as relevant as “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”.
Notable Dates in Recycling History:
1884 – Sweden was actually one the first countries to develop an official recycling program for glass bottles with refunds.
September 15th, 1990 – Cartoon Network’s “Captain Planet” aired for the first time, encouraging young children nationwide to recycle and help protect the planet.
November 15th, 1997 – America Recycles Day (aka National Recycling Day) became a national holiday.
November 15th, 2010 – Paper recycling increased by 89% since 1990.
Interesting Car Recycling Facts
When people think of recycling they think of basic materials like paper, glass, and plastic. What they forget is cars are the most recycled consumer product in the world. You Call We Haul and Advanced Remarketing Services play a role in the lifecycle of a car and greatly contribute to the car recycling industry.
- The vehicle you are driving around is a good source of many recyclable materials. Around 80% of a car can be recycled. Over 25 million tons of material is recycled from old cars.
- Car tires are a pretty viable material that can be used to produce sandals and roadways.
- The car recycling industry is the 16th largest in the United States, contributing $25 billion to the national GDP and employs around 100,000 people each year.
- Nearly 85 million barrels of oil are annually saved in North America thanks to the car recycling industry. This helps take hazardous fluids off the roads and reclaimed for reusal.
How to Observe National Recycling Day
- Join a Group/Event – Recycling can become fun (and very educational) when you make it a social activity. Look for environmental events in your area, bring your friends, and get involved. The larger your environmental community is, the more you can make a difference!
- Share on Social Media- If you care about maintaining a clean ecosystem, share your passion and your experiences on social media. You might be nervous about how people judge you, but remember that you are positively helping the environment and raising awareness is crucial. Use hashtags like #recycle or #greenthumb to generate more attention to your posts!
- Sell your car using You Call We Haul! YCWH connects you with our nationwide network of buyers who place live bids on your vehicle. If your car is non-functional, it will be sold to auto-recyclers.
Ready to participate in America Recycles Day? Click here to get started or give us a call at (866) 771-5865.