Here are some interesting statistics we’d like to share with you about paper use, energy usage, and water consumption in the US:
· The average office worker generates a pound and a half of waste paper every day.
· In 2017, about 39 percent of total U.S. energy consumption was consumed by the residential and commercial sectors. The rest was used in manufacturing, for industrial applications, and for the distribution of water.
· Total energy consumption in the U.S. declined by 0.2 percent in 2017. At the same time, business and industrial growth have been on the upswing in most of the country. The reason for the reduction: we are using energy more efficiently.
· Electricity and natural gas are the most common energy sources used in commercial buildings.
· Eighteen percent of all the energy used in the U.S. is produced by renewable energy sources (solar, wind, etc.) That’s double what it was in 2008.
· Americans use an average of 700 pounds of paper products per person each year.
· The average family can save 13,000 gallons of water and $130 in water costs per year, by installing more water efficient kitchen and bathroom fixtures.
· Of all types of commercial buildings in the US. the top five energy-consuming are mercantile (malls, stores, auto dealerships); office buildings; educational facilities; healthcare facilities; lodging (hotels, motels).
· The U.S. uses approximately 68 million trees each year to produce paper and paper products.
· Worldwide consumption of paper has risen by 400 percent in the last 40 years with 35 percent of harvested trees being used for paper manufacture.
· The pulp and paper industry is the fifth largest consumer of energy, accounting for four percent of all the world's energy use.
· The average family can waste 180 gallons per week, or 9,400 gallons of water annually, just from household leaks.
· Approximately half of the paper used in the U.S. today is recycled, much of it coming from commercial business recycling programs.
· Recycling a pound of paper saves about 5 gallons of water.
· Papermaking fibers can typically be recycled 5-7 times before they become too short to be recycled again.
· Waterless urinals have found a foothold in China because hygienic-concerned customers prefer not to touch urinals.
· According to a 2014 Government Accountability Report, 40 out of 50 state managers expect water shortages for their states over the next decade
· According to a 2013 article in the Washington Post, only about three percent of all the urinals sold in the US are waterless. “That number is bound to grow. Replacing urinals that flush with waterless urinals will save millions of gallons of water. This is a case of [transferring to] low hanging fruit.”
