In 2008 the 128,000 residents of Orange County, North Carolina recovered approximately 8,750 tons of paper thanks to education and outreach combined with successful efforts to make recycling more accessible to residents. The county recycling program includes weekly curbside collection in urban areas; biweekly curbside for rural locations, multi-family units, drop-off sites, and government buildings; plus collection from city buses and "park and ride" locations.

• In 2009 a record-high 63.4% of the paper used in the U.S. was recovered for recycling.
• Every ton of paper recycled saves more than 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.
• 87 percent (268 million) of Americans have access to curbside or drop-off paper recycling programs.
• In 2009 the amount of paper recovered for recycling averaged 325 pounds for each man, woman, and child in the United States.