Over the last two decades, the recycling industry has experienced an economic boom thanks in part to its monetary benefits, social responsibility, and environmental concerns. Thanks to zero waste practices, recycling businesses are playing a role in local job creation and industry growth. In fact, if Americans raised our recycling practices above 75%, it would create more than a million direct new jobs annually and as many as twenty million indirect industrial positions.
How Is Waste Recycled?
The recycling process starts in homes and businesses. Once you begin to recycle your waste, it is transferred from your residence or business to processing drop-off points. Depending on the type of goods, it is processed by skilled workers based on usability and then appropriately handled.
How Does Recycling Create New Jobs?
While solid waste management relies heavily on mechanical processing, recycling is labor dependent because of the need to collect, sort, and process the materials. Recycling businesses also employ administrators, operators, logistics agents, sales reps, advocates, and IT support. Additionally, many recycling business owners actively engage in public awareness programs which the UN believes will help create as many as sixty million additional jobs worldwide.
In addition to sorting materials like plastic, glass, paper, aluminum, and metal, global initiatives to enhance sanitation, empty landfills, and overcome poverty in developing countries directly correlate with recycling. In many economically challenged countries, it is the waste pickers who typically support local recycling practices and are now formalizing business contracts which will allow the groups to benefit and regularly profit from their collecting and sorting of garbage.
Recycling initiatives are also spurring on training programs and certification courses to support industry growth and new business ventures. Currently, in the United States, recycling courses include the SWANA Certification, Zero Waste Principles and Practices, Managing Composting Programs, Managing Recycling Systems, Managing Transfer Station Systems, MOLO, Household Hazardous Waste & CESQG Collection, and Managing MSW Collection Systems.
Recycling Industry Employment Statistics
Employment data collected by the ISRI found that scrap metal produced more than 473,000 jobs, both directly and indirectly. The US recycling industry also has more than 56,000 recycling centers, employs more than 1.25 million whereas solid waste has only 250,000 employees.
Data also shows that for every 10,000 tons of waste removal creates only six jobs, but recycling it would generate thirty-six new employees. The EU is also ramping up recycling initiatives to develop positions including 563,000 processing and recycling spots in twenty-seven countries.
Benefits Of Recycling In Massachusetts Rather Than Disposing?
- We reduce the need for landfill expansion.
- A growing industry will boost economic growth.
- Residents can scavenge for materials to earn money.
- Consumers can recycle to support local job creation.
- Recycling and reusing save valuable natural resources.
- Manufacturers will produce new goods with recycled
- The material is safely processed while disposal endangers the environment.
- It reduces greenhouse gases and pollution which makes the air quality cleaner.
If you are still looking for reasons to recycle or unsure of where to start, call us at (781) 941-2422 for more information or follow ABH Services at https://www.facebook.com/abhservices/.