Article provided by: Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)AN EVERYDAY SHOPPING GUIDESAFE BETS
These four types of packaging can always be counted on to have a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content, even though many such packages are not yet labeled:
Aluminum Beverage Cans
About 50% of the aluminum in beverage cans comes from used cans that were recycled and melted to make new cans.
Glass Bottles & Jars
Nearly 25% of the glass in bottles and jars has been used before, recycled, and remanufactured.
"Tin" (Steel) Cans
So-called "tin" cans are actually made of steel, usually with a thin coating of tin. About 25% of the content is recycled steel, half of that being post-consumer.
Molded Pulp Containers
Gray or brown cardboard egg cartons, fruit trays, and flower pots are made from recycled paper that is repulped and reshaped.
You are the "cycle" in recycling: You sort out recyclable materials, your city or town collects them and manufactures buy them to make into products again. By selecting those products when you shop, you can spur companies to use more recycled materials and keep the ball rolling. So look for products made from recycled materials, and buy them. Your choice can make a world of difference.
SAVE NATURAL RESOURCES
By making products from recycled materials instead of virgin materials, we reduce the need to cut down forests, drill for oil, and dig for minerals.
SAVE ENERGY
It usually takes less energy to make recycled products: recycled aluminum, for example, takes 98% less energy to make than new aluminum from bauxite ore.
SAVE CLEAN AIR AND WATER
In most cases, making products from recycled materials creates less air pollution and water pollution than making products from virgin materials.
SAVE LANDFILL SPACE
When the materials that you recycle go into new products, they don't go into landfills or incinerators, so landfill space is conserved.
SAVE MONEY AND CREATE JOBS
The recycling process creates far more jobs than landfills or incinerators, and recycling can frequently be the least expensive waste management method for cities and towns.
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