Recycling Boom Reduces Greenhouse-gases in California
An
increase in the refund available for empty beverage containers prompted
Californians to achieve a significant jump in recycling in the first
half of 2007. In the process,
Californians decreased greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing
230,000 passenger cars from the roadways for a year, according to a new
report released by the California Department of Conservation (DOC).
"I applaud Californians for increasing their recycling over the past
year and helping California lead the way toward a healthier
environment," said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. "Recycling is something
each of us can do every day to reduce our impact on the environment."
The "Six-Month Report of Beverage Container Recycling &
Significant Carbon Reductions" shows California's beverage container
recycling rate rose six percentage points, to 71 percent, from
January-June 2007.
To determine the amount of greenhouse gas emission reductions
achieved through recycling beverage containers, the DOC used the Waste
Reduction Model developed by U.S. EPA. Emission calculations were based
on the total volume of aluminum, glass and plastic beverage containers
recycled in California.
Each year, California consumes 657 million barrels of oil and emits
492 million metric tons of greenhouse gas. By recycling nearly 7
billion beverage containers from January-June, Californians saved the
equivalent of 2.5 million barrels of oil, and reduced emissions
equivalent to 293,000 metric tons of carbon related to greenhouse gas,
according to the report.