Recycling is the collection, processing and incorporation of materials into new products. The recycling logo, with the three chasing arrows, portrays "closed loop recycling" whereby materials like aluminum, glass and steel are recycled back into themselves again and again.

Americans generate approximately 5 pounds of trash, per person, per day.
The less trash (and recyclable items) we send to landfills, the better!

Allentown's trash goes to a landfill. Today's "sanitary" landfills are better than the old town dumps which polluted the land and water. Landfills are lined with clay and plastic and have systems to remove runoff and toxic liquids. Once a landfill is full, it is capped with a plastic liner. Air and water cannot reach the trash, and as a result, there is little decomposition of trash in most landfills.

Despite the improvement over dumps, landfills are not an ideal disposal solution. Landfills use irreplaceable land, emit air and water pollutants, and may someday leak. They are very large and expensive to build and operate.

Also, according to the EPA, landfills are the single source of methane gas, a greenhouse gas, which contributes to global warming and climate change.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Recycling Saves . . .

	scarce and irreplaceable natural resources.
	energy. Recycling paper reduces energy usage by 50% and by 95% for aluminum.
	the environment by reducing air and water pollution caused by mining, logging, manufacturing and landfilling.
	landfill space reducing the need for more landfills.
	trash collection and disposal costs of $90 - $120 per ton.