Recycling Statistics:

 

Recycling in the Tri-County is easy, simple and fun! Recycle at home and at work, get your family and friends involved and take part in the mission of Tri-County's effort to “Protecting Tomorrow’s Environment Today!” The Tri-County Solid Waste Authority offers 20 Recycling Convenience Centers throughout the area. Click here to view a map of their locations.

South Carolina’s 2007 Recycling Rate was 31%.

Recycling Facts: For every ten pounds of garbage the average American household throws out each week, one to three pounds is food that could be fully composted and recycled.

In the U.S. 54 billion aluminum cans were collected in 2007. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours. Recycling 40 aluminum cans has energy saving equivalent of one gallon of gasoline.

Recycling Statistics

2007 South Carolina Statistics
SC Population: 4,343,204
Recycled: 1,551,365 tons
Disposed: 6,558,129 tons
Recycling Rate: 31% (2006 was 30.4%)

2007 Environmental Impact in Tri-County

 

Passenger cars not driven for one year	12,487
Gallons of Gasoline	6,571,547
Barrels of Oil	134,180
Household Electricity use for one year (# of households)	7,405
Acres of Forest deforestation	471
Net Energy Savings	490,009.6 million BTU's
Net Greenhouse Gas Equivalent Reduction	15,735.8 metric ton carbon equiv.

Economic Impact of Recycling

"The Economic Impact of the Recycling Industry in South Carolina" study, commissioned by S.C. Department of Health and Enviornmental Control and the S.C. Department of Commerce, shows that the recycling industry is directly responsible for more than 15,000 jobs, $1.5 billion in annual personal income and $69 million in tax revenue each year. Overall, the recycling industry has a $6.5 billion impact annually on the state's economy according to the study that was conducted by the College of Charleston's Department of Economics and Finance.