Rubber tires can now also be shredded and turned into insulation, erosion barriers and other unique products. Here s a review of the popular and widely-accepted recycling programs of today. In the US and elsewhere around the world, recycling and waste-recover programs take different forms. The United States recycles as much as thirty percent of its solid waste; European countries like Sweden, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands however have recycling rates of as high as 60 percent. They can be reused for packing your valuables into your storage boxes, and can be used in your kitty litter box. Scrap paper can also reused. Use up both sides to print documents, unless you re printing a very important office or business document. You can also send your old newspapers to a collection facility for proper recycling. You may also need to sell your program to the school administration, so be ready to state your facts and prepare your arguments for it. Second, determine the volume of trash your school produces each day. To do this, ask your friends or classmates to collect cans, bottles or used paper from other students, and monitor how much is thrown into the garbage bins during class. While the current figures have yet to be released, the 2005 data has indicated a positive improvement for recycling and materials recovery. Here are some positive developments to cheer about: An estimated 8,550 curbside recycling programs are now operating in the United States, and these recycling and composting programs have recovered 32.1 percent, or 79 million tons of material solid waste. CFL s, and other fluorescent lamps generally have small amounts of mercury inside them that are used as vapor inside the glass tubing. A typical CFL unit will contain as much as 3 to 5 mg of mercury, while some contain 1 mg or less. Since mercury is a highly-toxic material, its disposal in landfills or incinerators poses a major health safety issue, because burning or burying them in the ground can contribute to air and water pollution. Conserving water, as well as recycling used water, puts less strain on local water treatment facilities, and also makes more fresh water available to communities for drinking, washing and cooking. How Water Recycling Is Done Most sewage today is generated by residential, institutional, commercial and industrial establishments.