Planetary Re-Education: PAPER SAVES WORLD

[Jose Iribarne]

Two important pieces of information. Think about.

	Packaging		Million Tons	Share of
				Recovered	Total

	Paper and paperboard	15.7		68.6%
	Glass			 3.0		13.1%
	Metal			 2.4		10.5%
	Plastic			 0.5		 2.2%
	All Other		 1.3		 5.7%

	Total			22.9		100.0%

	(source: Franklin Associates, Ltd., 1993 data)

	Decomposition rates for typical camping litter

	Paper				2-5 months
	Orange peel			6 months
	Milk carton			5 years
	Filter-tip cigarette butt	10-12 years
	Plastic bag			10-20 years
	Leather shoe			25-40 years
	Nylon cloth			30-40 years
	Plastic container		50-80 years
	Aluminum			80-100 years
	Plastic foam			NEVER

	(source: N.Y.S. Dept. of Enviro. Conserv., 150M 4/95)