Celebrate the spirit of Labor Day this weekend by earning some green and closing the recycling loop. The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works encourages all residents to be environmental stewards this holiday by recycling their beverage containers instead of trashing them. The recycled containers will be diverted from local landfills, supply manufacturers with processing materials, and earn residents some cash.

According to the California Department of Conservation, Californians bought more than 20 billion carbonated and non-carbonated drinks in plastic, glass, aluminum, and bi-metal containers in 2005. While more than 12 billion of those containers were recycled, the remaining eight billion bottles and cans still found their way to landfills, where they take as long as 700 years to degrade. Some containers take even longer!

But by taking beverage containers to a recycling center, residents can earn back a nickel for containers less than 24 ounces and a dime for larger containers. In addition, recycled beverage containers go back onto the shelf in less time than it takes for them to decompose. This is because recycled materials need less processing and fewer energy resources than raw materials.

Today, recycled materials can be found in everyday items such as clothing, park benches, appliances, etc. “In order for recycling to work, residents not only need to build recycling into their daily routine, they need to ‘close the loop’ by using recycled products,” says Hossam Banna, Supervising Engineer with the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Environmental Programs Division. “This way, businesses are encouraged to use recycled materials instead of raw materials, which will help preserve our environment for everyone to enjoy.”

The 12.4 billion beverage containers recycled in California in 2005 saved enough energy to power more than 520,000 California households annually. A California family of four, on average, will consume more than 2,000 beverage containers in one year, worth more than $100 in California Redemption Value. To learn more on how you can recycle, and to find the recycling center closest to you, visit www.888CleanLA.com.