THINK RECYCLING IS STRICTLY AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE? THINK AGAIN.

Fact is, it has business, lifestyle and social implications for your community. Recycling has moved from a popular environmental movement to a multi-million dollar economic industry which impacts:

• Economic development
• Job creation
• Energy conservation
• Resource conservation
• Environmental protection

Whether or not recycling is part of your daily routine, chances are it has affected you in ways you never would have imagined. How does the individual choice to recycle create a domino effect in your community?

Economic Development

• The focus of solid waste management is shifting from simple disposal to incorporating market development to stimulate job creation and industrial development. How can progressive solid waste management enhance economic development in your region?
• As with any business, recycling is based on supply and demand. The cans, bottles, newspapers and other materials collected through your local recycling program are commodities which recently began trading through the Chicago Board of Trade. How is your community marketing recyclables?
• Most consumers don't think of recycling much past putting the container or newspaper in their recycling receptacle. What happens to those materials after they have been collected for recycling? Is there a complete recycling loop - from collection to processing to production of new products or packaging - in your region? The answer may surprise you.

Job Creation

• America's original recycler is the scrap dealer. Once a man who collected junk on the street, the scrap business has turned into a billion dollar industry. How has the scrap dealer grown, and what is the future of this globally-competitive industry?
• More and more consumers are making recycling work by "buying recycled," whether consciously or subconsciously. There are more than 4,500 different products and packaging available today made from recycled content. Likewise, business and industry are learning the benefits of buying recycled. McDonald's, for example,has spent in excess of $1 billion dollars on recycled products. And initiatives like the Buy Recycled Business Alliance continue to enhance markets for recycled products and packaging. How is local business and industry capitalizing on the growth of "green marketing?

Energy Conservation

• Thanks to their average 70 percent steel content, virtually 100 percent of all cars taken off the road each year are recycled, making the automobile the most recycled product on earth. What are automakers doing to ensure this high recycling rate continues, without sacrificing strength, safety and repairability?
• Don't take that old refrigerator down to the basement or garage! Unused appliances are a good source of quality scrap for the steel industry and should be recycled rather than stored or disposed of in the landfill. More and more communities are coordinating collection events to help educate consumers about ongoing appliance recycling options.

Resource Conservation

• What's the hottest trend in residential construction? An increasing number of builders have discovered steel framing. Lightweight, cost effective, easy to use, recycled and recyclable, steel framing offers both economic and environmental benefits. And termites hate it, too!
• Pssst! Did you know that when empty, aerosol and paint containers are completely recyclable, just like any other steel can? What about CFCs? There haven't been CFCs in aerosol spray products since 1978! And what about leftover paint in the can? It's okay to have a thin layer of dried paint! More and more cities (including Los Angeles, New York City and San Antonio) have gotten the facts and added empty aerosol and paint cans to the local recycling collection. What about your community?

Environmental Protection
Steel's infinite recyclability makes it North America's #1 recycled material. That's because the steel industry needs old steel to make new steel. And through increased awareness, recycling rates for steel products continue to grow. More than 218 million Americans have convenient access to steel can recycling; there are more than 11,675 appliance recycling locations throughout the U.S.; and more than 200 shredders currently recycling old cars. What's available in your community? Simply call the Steel Recycling Institute's consumer hotline at 1-800-YES-1-CAN (937-1226).