In 2006, Americans drank about 167 bottles of water each, but only recycled an average of 23 percent. That leaves 38 billion water bottles in landfills.

Bottled water costs between $1 and $4 per gallon and 90 percent of the cost is in the bottle, lid and label.

According to the Beverage Marketing Corp, the average American consumed 1.6 gallons of bottled water in 1976. In 2006 that number jumped to 28.3 gallons.

It takes over 1.5 million barrels of oil to manufacture a year’s supply of bottled water. That’s enough oil to fuel 100,000 cars.

Eight out of 10 plastic water bottles become landfill waste.

In 2007 we spent $16 billion on bottled water. That’s more than we spent on iPods or movie tickets.

Plastic bottles take 700 years before they begin to decompose in a landfill.

If everyone in NYC gave up water bottles for one week they would save 24 million bottles from being landfilled; one month would save 112 million bottles and one year would save 1.328 billion bottles from going into the landfill.

See Facts about Aluminum Recycling
See Facts about E-Waste Recycling
See Facts about Glass Recycling
See Facts about Paper Recycling
See Facts about Steel Recycling