Recycle Awareness Week

September 20, 2022

From Sept 19-25 is Recycle Awareness Week. You can recycle almost anything, paper, jars, milk cartons, and more. People have been recycling since ancient times.
History
The first recording of paper recycling was in Japan 1031. Private estate owners built paper mills that reused wasted paper. Later on in Pennsylvania around 1690 the first paper mill was built and it used old fabrics, clothes, cotton, and linen to make recycled paper.
In 1813 Benjamin Law invented a process which created wool from old rags and clothes. He would re-spin it and eventually the rags would turn into yarn. By 1897 materials separated and were sorted allowing recyclable materials to be recovered.
Celebrate
Recycle – obviously.
- You can organize a recycling drive and recycle paper and plastic.
- Spread awareness on social media.
Fun facts
- Did you know that recycling cardboard saves oil.
- Recycling uses 75% less energy – meaning it saves energy
- Glass is 100% recyclable
- Recycling plastic uses 88% less energy than manufacturing it