EPA widget puts recycling in terms consumers understand

The EPA has developed a widget called iWARM, which helps consumers understand how much energy is saved through recycling, and lets them share their results.

The widget translates the energy savings of commonly recycled household items (a can, a bottle, a plastic bag) into the equivalent amount of electricity, and then estimates how long it would power a variety of household appliances. Recycling 10 aluminum cans, for instance, can power a hairdryer for 1.7 hours. Users can share their results on Twitter or Facebook. Try it out below.