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Job Creation

We estimate the environmental costs of landfilling and incineration of municipal solid waste, compared to recycling, to be about $100 per ton of material. The economic impact of the recycling industry is much greater.

Economic Value of Recycling Industry

The gross value of the recycling and remanufacturing industry is hundreds of dollars for every ton of material recycled.

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Sources: Virginia 1 and Connecticut 2, with Connecticut recycling volumes calculated from 3 and 4.

Recycling and Job Creation

Municipalities have a significant opportunity to create local jobs by boosting recycling. Waste management options show the following job creation potential.

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Job creation in waste management. Source: Tellus Institute with Sound Resource Management 5.

Municipalities have an incentive to finance effective collection systems and advanced material recovery facilities for economic development.

References

  1. Miller, A. P., Nguyen, H. T., Sifleet, S. D. "The Economic Benefits of Recycling in Virginia". By the Thomas Jefferson Program in Public Policy At the College of William and Mary For the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Accessed January 21, 2022. ↩

  2. Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc. "The Economic Impact on Connecticut from Recycling Activity". Prepared for: Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority. November 2012. ↩

  3. Ball Corporation. "50 States of Recycling". Accessed January 21, 2022. ↩

  4. MSW Consultants, Cascadia Consulting Group, DSM Environmental Services, Inc. "2015 Waste Characterization Study". Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. March 2016. ↩

  5. Tellus Institute with Sound Resource Management. "More Jobs, Less Pollution: Growing the Recycling Economy in the U.S.". Prepared for BlueGreen Alliance, Teamsters, Service Employees International Union, Natural Resources Defense Council, Recycling Works, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives. 2010. ↩