Recycling = US Jobs
| Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. Not only is it good business to be green, collecting recyclable materials is just the first step in a series of actions that generate a host of financial, environmental, and societal returns—including job creation. |
More than 56,000 recycling and reuse establishments in the United States employ approximately 1.1 million people, and generate an annual payroll of $37 billion, and gross $236 billion in annual revenues. The number of workers in the recycling industry is comparable to the automobile and truck manufacturing industry and is significantly larger than mining and waste management and disposal industries. In addition, wages for workers in the recycling industry are notably higher than the national average for all industries.
Recycling Saves You Money
Recycling is not only green, but makes good financial sense for businesses and consumers. Take the example of recycling soda cans–creating aluminum cans from recycled aluminum is far less energy-intensive, and less costly, than mining the raw materials and manufacturing new cans from scratch.
Because recycling is clearly good for human health, the nation’s economy, and the environment, many people wonder why the federal government does not simply mandate recycling. The primary reason is that recycling is a local issue—the success and viability of recycling depends on a community’s resources and structure. A community must consider the costs of a recycling program, as well as the availability of markets for its recovered materials. In some areas, not enough resources exist to make recycling an economically feasible option. State governments can assess local conditions and set appropriate recycling mandates. For information about recycling in your state, contact your EPA regional office, or your state agency.
Other Benefits
According to EPA, here are the benefits of recycling:
- Jobs. Recycling protects and expands U.S. manufacturing jobs and increases U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace.
- Saves landfill space. Reduces the need for landfilling and incineration.
- Saves energy and prevents pollution caused by the extraction and processing of virgin materials and the manufacture of products using virgin materials.
- Decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.
- It’s kind to trees. Conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals.
- Your grandchildren. Helps sustain the environment for future generations.