Why should I recycle?

1. Recycling saves resources. It reduces the amount of valuable materials that end up in our landfills and reduces the need to extract virgin materials, including oil — recycling one ton of plastic saves the equivalent of nearly 4 barrels of oil. Our local recycling and composting efforts help save the equivalent of over 10 million gallons of gasoline each year! In addition, 17 trees are saved by recycling one ton of paper.

2. Recycling saves energy. Each year, 140,000 tons of materials are recycled or composted at the Napa Recycling & Composting Facility. By keeping these valuable resources out of the landfill, we significantly decrease carbon dioxide and methane emissions and save enough energy to power all the houses in Napa for nearly three months!

3. Recycling saves jobs. Did you know that the recycling industry in California employs as many people as the film industry? And, for every ton of material that is recycled, instead of wasted in incinerators and landfills, 10 times more jobs are created in recycling sorting, and 25 times more jobs are created in recycling manufacturing. Check out the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Recycling Means Business page to learn more.

4. Recycling saves money. Recycling is more efficient than wasting and costs us all less. Recycling and compost collection is included with your service, and your monthly rate is determined by the size of your garbage container. The bigger the cart, the more you pay. Save money by reducing your waste!