Cars for Kids supports Go Green

Americans are not known for their strict commitment to environmental responsibility. Each year, about 250 million tons of garbage is thrown away in the US, roughly equal to four pounds per person, per day. Concerns of ballooning landfills have prompted cities like San Francisco to aim for a zero waste goal. Local and national organizations have been enthusiastic supporters.

 In 2009, prompted by public support and organizations like Kars for Kids, who have been a major player in the city’s car recycling scene for years, San Francisco became the first city in the country to require that residents and businesses separate their trash from compostable goods, which has led to an astonishing 80% reduction in the amount of garbage headed to the landfill. 

The reduction in garbage has in part been propelled by massive contributions from Kars4Kids, the leading national car donation charity for over a decade. Since 2005 alone, the charity has saved 160,000 barrels of oil, recycled 22,000 tons of steel and 1,600 tons of non-ferrous metal in the San Francisco area. The metal alone would produce 448 million toy cars, which, if lined up, would stretch across the United States 113 times.