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Is There More to Disposing of Sensitive Documents Than Just Shredded Paper?
Is there more to disposing of 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 three community shredding events that we have hosted so far have generated 12.89 tons (25,780 pounds) of shredded paper – the equivalent weight of eight 2015 Toyota Priuses. We could line up one of each color that Toyota sells.
Our savings also include 1,289 gallons of gasoline. Those savings would allow 23 Priuses to travel from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles, and arrive with 10 gallons remaining.
The county landfill has been spared 42.5 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 21 truckloads of mulch.
The nearly 13 tons of shredded paper obviously saves trees – 219 to be exact. This nice size grove of trees will absorb 10,512 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Wow, 5+ tons of CO2. Besides taking in pollutants, these trees will provide oxygen for 438 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 12.5 ft in diameter and 5 ft deep. That’s 4,640 gallons of water.
This next savings is going to have you saying “Thanks!” The EPA says we have saved 773 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 773 pounds of it. How much do you think a lung full of this weighs?
One last savings is electricity. We saved 134,056 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 12 household’s worth of electricity.
We saved 134,056 kilowatts — the equivalent of 12 households’ worth of electricity.
If you like the idea of recycling and have sensitive documents that need shredding, mark your calendar for September 19th. We will be having our fourth no cost, on site, while you watch shredding & electronics recycling* event” from 9 AM to 12 Noon. It will be held in the RE/MAX Premier parking lot at 44675 Cape Ct, Ashburn, VA.
Please feel free to tell your friends, neighbors and co-workers. They will thank you. And of course, please contact me with any questions you have before the event.
** The most recent event was our first in which we recycled electronics – and we completely filled the truck!
