The environmental movement has been making an impact on a number of people's lives and continues to grow each year. This year is no different. Based on the idea of Earth Day, a number of sponsors have developed an "America Recycles Day" aimed at reminding and encouraging Americans everywhere to learn about and do even more recycling and purchasing recycled content products. The sponsors include the Steel Recycling Institute, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Union Camp Corporation, the U.S. Postal Service, BFA, Home Depot, and Saftey-Klenn.
The first annual "America Recycles Day," November 15, 1997, with the theme "Keep Recycling Working: Buy Recycled," applauds the efforts that have resulted in one of the four most significant environmental achievements in the last twenty years - the establishment if thousands of recycling programs all over the country. The theme of this program to build consumer demand for recycled products and to build consumer demand for recycled productd and to educate Americans about the environmental and economical benefits of recycling. In celebration of this day, every citizen, business, local government, school, and civic and nonprofit organization is invited to pledge to buy recycled, recycle more, or support a recycling event on November 15. All pledges will be entered in a random national drawing for the "American Green Dream House" - a brand new three-bedroom, two and a half bath home built primarily with recycled content and energy efficient products. There is no cost or purchase necessary to enter. The drawing will be held on December 15 in Washington, D.C. To enter, all you need to do is to fill out a pledge card and mail it in to the address printed on it before Novemeber 15. Pledge cards can be found in Miller Library or at the entrance doors of the cafeteria. You can also make your pledge via the Internet at www.americarecyclesday.org, or by calling 1-800-YES-1CAN.
From the foundation to the roof, the "American Green Dream House" will be built with materials and labor donated by businesses that care about recycling and the environment. Following are some examples of home construction products made from recycled materials:
Asphalt - ground post-consumer tires
Brick - post-consumer brick and recovered ash
Cabinets - recycled wood
Ceiling finish - recovered paper
Concrete - fly ash
Conter tops - recycled plastic
Fiberboard - post-consumer recycled paper, urban wood waste and forestry residuals; sawdust from mills
Lumber - recycled plastic, fibergalss, wood
Roofing - recycled aluminum, steel, copper; post-consumer cellulose fiber
Toilet/Shower - recycled plastic or wood
Wallpaper - recycled textile, cork, plastic
All of us must continue the proud tradition of Americans working together to make our nation better. But you can't win if you don't make a pledge. And recycling will lose if you don't.
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