Sen. Carper Urges Delawareans to Increase Recycling Efforts

WILMINGTON – On the heels of a new campaign to promote recycling that launched Friday, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), co-chair of the Senate Recycling Caucus, urged Delawareans to make recycling a part of their everyday lives. Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that only 52 percent of Americans are “very” or “extremely” knowledgeable about recycling, while just 38 percent of Americans call themselves “avid” recyclers. To address this, the Ad Council and the nonprofit Keep America Beautiful launched IWantToBeRecycled.org to give Delawareans and people across the country information about where to recycle, either at their curbside or their nearest recycling center.

“Americans produce 250 million tons of trash each year, but only 35 percent is recycled,” said Sen. Carper. “Without a greater focus on environmental sustainability, we will be overwhelmed with waste, higher energy costs and diminished natural resources. Additionally, recycling boosts the manufacturing industry, helping innovative American companies hire more workers to create new, eco-friendly products. I urge all Delawareans to make recycling a part of their daily routine, because it is an invaluable part of protecting our environment and improving our economy.”

The website illustrates the recycling process through an interactive infographic and offers detailed information on what materials can be recycled, how they should be recycled and what products they can become in the future. For more information, go to www.iwanttoberecycled.org.