ReMA Promotes How Recycled Materials Are Sustainable, Resilient, and Essential on America Recycles Day

(Nov. 15, 2024 – Washington, DC) – Recycled materials are sustainable, resilient, and essential to our everyday lives as well as to the global economy, the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) said in a statement on America Recycles Day (ARD).

“From the coffee cup we are using to the cars we drive and the bridges we cross — recycled materials are a part of virtually everything around us,” said ReMA President Robin Wiener. “It’s impossible to go a day — or even an hour — without using a product made at least in part with recycled materials. On America Recycles Day, we celebrate how the recycled materials industry is continuously innovating to recycle more material, more effectively, while partnering with businesses, communities, and policymakers to build an environmentally sustainable, economically resilient future.”

America Recycles Day by the Numbers:

• Ninety percent of the structural steel used in buildings like hospitals is recycled steel.
• The average car body contains 25 percent recycled steel.
• Ninety percent of all steel used in bridges is made with recycled materials.
• Pizza boxes are made of recycled paper AND can be recycled into new boxes.
• Recycled plastic uses 88 percent less energy than sourcing new plastic from primary materials.
• Glass and aluminum are 100 percent recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without losing quality.
• From paper in drywall to the wires that bring us light, homes are made possible by recycled materials.

From steel, aluminum, and copper to recycled electronics, plastic, rubber, and paper, recycled materials play a critical role by protecting natural resources, reducing carbon emissions, and reducing waste. Learn more about how recycled materials make up the essential infrastructure and everyday items on which we all rely at recycledmaterials.org.