Recycling In Georgia: Closing the LoopGeorgia leads the way in the southern United States when it comes to closing the recycling loop. According to a 1995 Southern States Energy Board study, Georgia industries employed over twenty three thousand people in the recycling of used goods, the most of any southern state. These hard working Georgians added over forty one million dollars worth of value to products through the recycling of society's discards. Among the many goods produced by Georgia's recycling industries are carpeting made from discarded soda bottles, newsprint from old newspapers and magazines, cardboard boxes from old cardboard boxes and even junk mail, and glass bottles that can continue going around and around the cycle without end. Recycling is widely known for its environmental benefits through the conservation of natural resources and energy, as well as its reduction in our dependence upon solid waste landfills.
In another 1995 study, over 4.7 million tons of waste was recycled into new Georgia-made products during that year. In 2000, 74% of local governments that responded to the Department of Community Affairs Annual Solid Waste Survey answered that recycling services are available in their community. This is a huge improvement over the 32% that reported recycling services when the survey began in 1992. The percentage has fluctuated little since the highest number of new programs came online in 1995. So, the next time you contemplate tossing out yesterday's newspaper or an empty container, remember that in Georgia, 'Recycling Works'!