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  Guia de Reciclaje de Navidad 

Holidays by the Numbers

Holiday sales are expected to hit $465.6 billion in 2011. National Retail Federation, Holiday FAQs

Approximately 1.5 billion cards are sent over the holiday season in the U.S., which requires 300,000 new trees to be harvested per year. Hallmark and Discovery Planet Green 

About 40% of all battery sales in the U.S. occur during the holiday season. EPA, Reducing Holiday Waste

Holiday lights in U.S. use more than 2.2 million mega-watt hours (MWh) of electricity every holiday season, enough electricity to run more than 173,000 homes for a year. Eco-Cycle calculation based on Energy Star study and EPA equivalency factors

There are approximately 33 million live holiday trees sold in the U.S. every year. EPA, Reducing Holiday Waste

Americans estimate they will spend an average of $764 on Christmas gifts in 2011. Gallup Poll, November 2011

40% of Americans start their holiday shopping before Halloween. National Retail Federation, Holiday FAQs

More than 3 in 4 Americans wish that holidays were less materialistic. Nearly 9 in 10 believe that holidays should be more about family and caring for others, not giving and receiving gifts. Center for a New American Dream, Simplify the Holidays

In the past 50 years, humans have consumed more resources than in all previous history. EPA, Sustainable Materials Management: The Road Ahead

> For facts on consumption and the environment, check out our Eco-Facts section.