THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam)
_________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release November 16, 2000
AMERICA RECYCLES DAY, 2000
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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
As we look forward to Thanksgiving, our annual celebration of
America?s great bounty, it is appropriate to observe America Recycles Day
and focus on how to preserve that bounty for the benefit of future
generations.
Recycling waste and purchasing products made from recycled materials
are among the easiest and most effective measures every American can take
to conserve our resources and create a cleaner environment. Currently, our
country recovers more than 28 percent of the billions of pounds of waste
generated by Americans annually -- an effort that translates into enough
savings to supply the energy needs of 9 million U.S. households. But the
recycling process succeeds only when recovered materials are returned to
retailers as new products that are purchased by consumers; otherwise, the
recycled products themselves must be disposed of as waste.
Buying recycled products conserves resources, reduces water and air
pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and saves energy. While beneficial
for the environment, the recycling process is good for our economy as well.
By promoting the development of markets for recycled products, we are also
creating new jobs, many of which are in America?s inner cities, where job
creation is particularly critical. It is estimated that while incinerating
10,000 tons of waste creates 1 job, and landfilling the same amount creates
6 jobs, recycling the same 10,000 tons creates 36 jobs. Nationwide,
recycling and remanufacturing provide 1 million jobs and $100 billion in
revenue.
To ensure the Federal Government?s leadership in the recycling effort,
I signed an Executive Order in 1998 directing all Federal agencies to
expand and strengthen their commitment to recycling and buying
recycled-content and environmentally preferable products. The Federal
Government now purchases more than $350 million in recycled-content
products annually -- an increase of $112 million a year, or 30 percent,
from just a decade ago.
America Recycles Day helps us to build on this progress by uniting
environmental and community organizations, business and industry, and
agencies at all levels of government as partners in the vital effort to
keep recycling working. By encouraging every business and consumer in
America to start or enhance recycling efforts and to buy recycled-content
products, we can sustain our economy, improve our environment, and preserve
our precious natural resources for the sake of generations to come.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 15, 2000, as America
Recycles Day. I urge all Americans to observe this day with appropriate
ceremonies and activities and to take personal responsibility for the
environment not only by recycling, but also by choosing to purchase and use
products made from recycled materials.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of
November, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
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