We’ve Removed 960 Lbs of Pollutants From the Air — Any Idea What a Lung Full Weighs?

Is there more to shredding sensitive documents then just shredded paper?

Yes, shredded paper gets recycled and saves us from having to go through the paper making process to make more paper. It also saves in several really interesting ways.

The four community shredding events that we have hosted so far have generated 16 tons (32,000 pounds) of shredded paper – the equivalent weight of ten 2016 Toyota Priuses. We could line up one of each color that Toyota sells.

Our savings also include 1,600 gallons of gasoline. Those savings would allow 28 Priuses to travel from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles, and arrive with 43 gallons remaining.

The county landfill has been spared 52.8 cubic yards of space. This is easy to visualize when you realize that a standard pickup truck can hold 2 cubic yards of mulch. That’s 26 truckloads of mulch.

The 16 tons of shredded paper obviously saves trees – 272 to be exact. This nice size grove of trees will absorb 13,056 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Wow, 6.5+ tons of CO2. Besides taking in pollutants, these trees will provide oxygen for 544 people for one year. You have to like that.

We also need to talk about water savings. There was enough saved to fill a pool that is 14 ft in diameter and 5 ft deep. That’s 5,760 gallons of water.

This next savings is going to have you saying “Thanks!” The EPA says we have saved 960 pounds of pollutants from entering the air. The six most common air pollutants that they track are:

• Carbon monoxide
• Lead
• Nitrogen dioxide
• Ozone
• Particulate matter
• Sulfur dioxide

I wouldn’t want a pound of this stuff floating around in the air, much less 960 pounds of it. How much do you think a lung full of this weighs?

One last savings is electricity. We saved 166,400 kilowatts of electricity. According to the US Energy Information Administration in 2013, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,837 kWh. That’s 15 household’s worth of electricity.

If you like the idea of recycling and have sensitive documents that need shredding, mark your calendar for April 2nd. We will be having our fifth no cost, on site,  while you watch, shredding and electronics recycling event, from 9 AM to 12 Noon. It will be held in the RE/MAX Premier parking lot at 44675 Cape Ct in Ashburn.

Please email me or reach out on Facebook for more information!

Please feel free to tell your friends, neighbors and co-workers. They will thank you.