The United States has made huge strides in the past decade or so in terms of reducing carbon emissions, so-called "greenhouse" gases, and unprocessed solid waste. However, as much as we promote recycling and the pressing need to "be green" there is still much room for improvement in America.

According to a recent report from the EPA, the U.S. recycles less than 35% of its discarded materials:

In 2014, in the United States, about 258 million tons of MSW were generated. Over 89 million tons of MSW were recycled and composted, equivalent to a 34.6 percent recycling rate. In addition, over 33 million tons of MSW were combusted with energy recovery and 136 million tons were landfilled.

- EPA's Materials and Waste Management in the United States Key Facts and Figures report 

The World Watch institute noted recently that the United States - although only representing 5% of the world's population - generates more waste than any other country in the world. And on a global scale, worldwide waste is expected to double in less than 15 years.

Five Ways You Can Support Recycling - And Make a Difference

Most people now know that almost everything that ends up in the waste stream can be recycled, reused or combusted for energy capture. But in all of the trash we produce and dispose of, there are a number of common materials that make up the vast majority of volume of trash.

Being aware of these materials and being strategic in your junk disposal practices can make a huge difference. 

This infographic illustrates five ways you can support recycling by what you choose to have hauled off by the right junk hauling firm:

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There Are a Number of Reasons Why Recycling Matters

We all know by now that recycling can result in economic benefits. But recycling your junk, no matter what type of waste it is composed of, does much more that simply make some money for people or businesses. It really does help the planet, as well.

So, what are the effects of consistent recycling efforts on the environment? Here's just a few of many:

• It conserves our finite natural resources, which is critical as population continues to grow worldwide
• Recycling also conserves up to 95% of the fresh water used in the mining and manufacturing process for many materials
• It helps prevent waste from going into ocean since when there is a strong recycling culture, there is, as a result, less litter and less waste
• Recycling protects forests which help to reduce CO2 emissions
• Significantly reduces use of fossil fuel energy and reduces CO2 emissions

Another recycling issue is E-Waste, or electronic waste, which is everywhere in our homes, schools and offices. And e-waste disposal is a real problem. Given the rate at which we replace and upgrade electronics to new models, our old devices often end up collecting dust in some storage closet or vacant office.

Until we decide to throw them out. Which becomes a problem.

There are a number of issues to consider with e-waste disposal. There are many laws and regulations, especially in states such as California, mandating that many electronic items such as monitors, TVs, and even cell phones cannot be simply tossed in the trash. In addition, in order to properly dispose of computer monitors, in particular old CRT devices that are still around, it is a process takes time, effort and money.

Choose the Right Junk Removal Firm for Your E-Waste Recycling

A great benefit to having a professional firm remove your e-waste and other trash is that you don’t have to have unsightly junk and debris taking up space at your business for long. Typically, you can have it taken away that day or the next day, and sometimes even from inside your home or place of business so you don’t have to put it out in your driveway, parking lot or loading dock. 

Junk King is proud to be North America’s greenest junk removal service. We pioneered recycling based junk removal in 2005 and have been going greener ever since. We sort each and every job for metals, e-waste, paper, household goods, textiles, furniture and appliances, in our recycling warehouses.

But “going green” also means we donate, repurpose, and reuse everything from clothing, toys, baby cribs and strollers to office furniture and supplies. We run many of our trucks run on biodiesel, a domestically produced fuel made from more environmentally safe non-petroleum, renewable resources. Junk King is committed to continuing to lead the way to help keep our planet clean, green and beautiful for the generations to come.

Junk King provides an efficient, safe and eco-friendly junk removal service so you don’t need to worry about the pick up or disposal of the debris after your project is complete.

Whether you need our services several times during a storage space cleaning project, or just once after it is complete, our hauling professionals will ensure that the furniture and debris is quickly out of your way so that you can get on with your life.

Our team specializes in trash and junk removal. We can be at your home in mere minutes, so call us today! Our crew is fully insured and well-trained, so you can trust them to get rid of your unwanted items in a professional and courteous fashion.

One of the best things about hiring Junk King is that we recycle a much of the material we pick-up. This is proof of our commitment to being an eco-friendly removal service. If you have questions about what we do or what we believe, give us a call at (707) 744-4254.