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Frequent Questions
Below are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the economic benefits of recycling. If you do not find the answer to your question below, you can submit a request using our questions form.
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Climate Change Frequent Questions
Community Development Frequent Questions
Economic Frequent Questions
What are some quick economic facts about recycling?
What costs my community more—recycling or throwing trash away?
If there is plenty of landfill space, why should I recycle?
How much is the Southeast throwing away?
Are there markets for recyclables in the Southeast, and if so, where can I find information about them?
What are the benefits of Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) Programs?
What are some states doing on a state-wide level to increase participation in recycling programs?
Are there grants available to help my community recycle more?
What are some quick economic facts about recycling?
- Numbers from EPA’s Recycling Economic Information (REI) study show that the U.S. is home to more than 56,000 recycling and reuse establishments that generate an annual payroll of nearly $37 billion and gross over $236 billion in annual receipts.
- The same study also indicates that beyond the 1.1 million people directly employed by recycling, there are an additional 1.4 million jobs with a $52 billion payroll in businesses that support the recycling and reuse industry.
- According to North Carolina’s Recycling Means Business
, recycling employs
more people than the bio-tech and agricultural livestock industries in the
state. In addition, recycling jobs as a percentage of the state’s total
employment have increased 40% in 10 years. - The August 2006 edition of Resource Recycling points out that, "as the paper industry's most important raw material, collecting and processing recovered paper is becoming a global priority."
- According to the Curbside
Value Partnership, an estimated $1.2 billion worth of recyclable
materials were disposed of in Region 4 states based on the 2006 population.
- In the Southeast, the recovery rate of recyclables is less than 25%.
- According to Georgia’s
Statewide Waste Characterization Study completed in 2006, Georgia estimates that each year it
spends $100 million to throw away $300 million worth of recyclables.
- The same study found that 36% of municipal solid waste disposed of in Georgia is composed of the most commonly recyclable materials that could have been utilized in manufacturing new products.
- Kentucky lost an estimated $17.7 million worth of aluminum cans due to
disposal instead of recycling, according to Kentucky's 2003 Statewide Solid Waste
Management Report.
- KW Plastics in Alabama is among the largest high density polyethylene (HDPE) plastics recyclers in the country. From their home state of Alabama, they are only able to collect approximately 370,000 pounds of recycled plastic annually—enough to run the plant for about one day.
- While the primary beverage container materials, aluminum and PET, have high value as recyclables in the marketplace, not enough material is recovered to meet the increasing demand for them.
What costs my community more—recycling or throwing trash away?
The answer to this question will vary depending on where you live and comparing recycling program and waste disposal costs is a complex undertaking. Disposal fees for landfills, waste transfer stations, and incinerators vary across the country, but in many areas, particularly on the heavily populated East Coast, they are significant expenses. Costs and returns for recycling programs also vary greatly, depending on the local resources and demand for the recovered materials.
Recycling does cost money, but so does waste disposal. Communities must pay to collect trash and manage a landfill or incinerator and so they should expect to pay for recycling. Assessing how recycling will impact your community requires a full appraisal of the environmental and economic benefits and costs of recycling, as compared to the one-way consumption of resources from disposing of used products and packaging in landfills and incinerators. Analyzing all of these factors together will help you determine if recycling is more cost effective in your community.
The report, Anti-Recycling
Myths: Commentary on Recycling is Garbage, by John F. Ruston and Richard A. Denison, Ph.D. of the
Environmental Defense Fund, provides one point of view on the costs and benefits
of recycling and waste disposal.
For ideas on how to improve existing recycling practices, an EPA resource entitled Getting More for Less: Improving Collection Efficiency [Adobe PDF, 880 KB, about PDF] (EPA530-R-99-038) explains several important strategies for improving efficiency as well as case studies of communities that have reaped the benefits of improved solid waste collection.
If there is plenty of landfill space, why should I recycle?
Recycling offers a host of environmental, economic, and societal benefits. While landfill space is plentiful on the national level, some areas of the United States, particularly the heavily populated East Coast, have less landfill capacity and higher landfill costs.
Communities can make money and avoid high disposal costs by selling certain
recyclable materials. Markets for recovered materials fluctuate, however—as
markets do for all commodities—depending on a variety of economic conditions.
For more information on the value of recovered
materials, please visit the Global Recycling Network..
A report released by the National
Recycling Coalition (NRC) at the end of
2001, offers perhaps the most compelling evidence of how and why recycling makes
good economic sense. Simply put, recycling creates jobs and generates valuable
revenue for the U.S. According to the U.S. Recycling Economic
Information Study, more than 56,000 recycling and reuse establishments in the
U.S. employ approximately 1.1 million people, generate an annual
payroll of $37 billion, and gross $236 billion in annual revenues. According to
the report, 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, according to the report. For additional information on the
economic impact of recycling, visit EPA's Jobs
Through Recycling Web site.
How much is the Southeast throwing
away?
According to the Curbside Value
Partnership, an estimated $1.2 billion worth of recyclable materials
were disposed of in Region 4 states based on the 2006 population. Paper, one of
the easiest materials to recycle, had the highest percent of lost value for the
region. In addition to the lost value of these recyclables, one must also
consider the cost of tipping fees for dumping such valuable materials.
SP Newsprint out of Dublin, GA, is one of the largest recycling corporations in the Southeast. Specifically, their paper mill consumes more than 750,000 tons of recycled fiber each year in making 100% recycled newsprint. However, the Southeast domestic demand for old newsprint exceeds the available supply. If SP Newsprint recovered all the used newspapers and publishers' production scrap in the State of Georgia, they would still have to purchase quality tonnage from other Southeast market areas and beyond to meet their production needs.
According to South Carolina’s Economic Report compiled in 2005, the average price for a ton of PET plastic was $220. With an estimated state recycling rate of only 4.9% for plastic, the value of materials in landfills was over $8.5 million. By 2009, Coca-Cola plans to open the largest plastic bottle recycling plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. While the demand for recycled plastics is high in the Southeast, the market is only getting stronger.
| EPA Region 4 States: | 2006 Population | % of U.S. Population | Share of Lost Value ($) | Estimated Lost lbs. | Estimated Lost Tons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama |
4,599,030 |
1.5% |
97,364,982 |
2,820,835,839 |
1,410,418 |
Mississippi |
2,910,540 |
1.0% |
61,618,357 |
1,785,192,865 |
892,596 |
Louisiana |
4,287,768 |
1.4% |
90,775,327 |
2,629,921,884 |
1,314,961 |
Florida |
18,089,888 |
6.0% |
382,976,761 |
11,095,514,573 |
5,547,757 |
Georgia |
9,363,941 |
3.1% |
198,241,791 |
5,743,415,539 |
2,871,708 |
Tennessee |
6,038,803 |
2.0% |
127,846,077 |
3,703,927,116 |
1,851,964 |
North Carolina |
8,856,505 |
3.0% |
187,498,983 |
5,432,177,374 |
2,716,089 |
South Carolina |
4,321,249 |
1.4% |
91,484,145 |
2,650,457,607 |
1,325,229 |
Totals: |
|
19.5% |
1,237,806,423 |
35,861,442,797 |
17,930,721 |
The Southeast has markets for all types of recyclables.
- Several plastic recycling plants exist in the Southeast, including one of the largest in the country (KW Plastics) in Alabama and Coke’s new 30-acre plant scheduled to open in 2009, in South Carolina.
- Georgia is the largest user and manufacturer of recycled PET (beverage bottles) in the country.
- Georgia is also the second largest pulp-and paper-producing state in the nation, with 15 paper mills in the state using recycled fiber in their production, nine of them rely completely on recycled content for their operations.
- North Carolina has a robust recycling industry working with virtually
all types of recycling commodities.
By collecting more recyclable commodities from homes and businesses, the Southeast can help set the stage for the future expansion of current manufacturing operations. That expansion will result in more jobs, stronger tax revenue, and an overall brighter economic picture for the region.
EPA has compiled a fairly comprehensive list of state-specific waste
exchanges. The site provides information on markets for buying and selling
reusable and recyclable commodities. In addition to EPA’s resources, Resource Recycling Magazine and other trade journals regularly post
current recycling markets. The non-profit Southern
Waste Information eXchang (SWIX) is a helpful tool as well. You can also contact your state’s
recycling representative for more in-depth information and assistance with
your community programs.
For information about specific markets, check out these organizations:
- America’s Beverage Companies is a source for can and bottle recycling.
- Container Recycling
Institute is a source for information on all types of container
recycling.
- American
Plastics Council is a source for help regarding plastic recycling
opportunities and programs.
- Glass Packaging Institute is a one-stop resource for the latest news, trends and
other helpful information about glass packaging and glass recycling.
- Steel Recycling Institute is a source for information regarding steel recycling
opportunities.
- Paper Industry Association Council
(PIAC) serves as a source for information on paper recycling
opportunities.
What are the benefits of
Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) Programs?
In communities with Pay-As-You-Throw programs (also known as unit pricing or variable-rate pricing), residents are charged for the collection of municipal solid waste—ordinary household trash—based on the amount they throw away. This creates a direct economic incentive to recycle more and to generate less waste.
Traditionally, residents pay for waste collection through property taxes or a fixed fee, regardless of how much—or how little—trash they generate. PAYT breaks with tradition by treating trash services just like electricity, gas, and other utilities. Households pay a variable rate depending on the amount of service they use.
According to the EPA PAYT program, the economic advantages of switching to PAYT can be great. Well-designed programs generate the revenues communities need to cover their solid waste costs, including the costs of such complementary programs as recycling and composting. Residents benefit, too, because they have the opportunity to take control of their trash bills. For advice from other community implementers of PAYT programs, check out this EPA site for answers to frequently asked questions.
According to the EPA and Skumatz Economic Research Associates (SERA) report Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) in the U.S.: 2006 Update and Analysis, PAYT programs in the U.S. have grown from about 100 in the late 1980s to over 7,000 in 2007, representing about 25% of U.S. communities. Collectively, these program are annually keeping 4.6—8.3 million of tons of MSW out of the landfill, and saving 61—109 million MBTU.
Downtown Athens, GA & Pay-As-You-Throw
Creative Solutions for Efficient Recycling
Problem: Downtown Athens has too little space for trash and recycling receptacles and few alleyways. As a large college town, the late night bar and restaurant scene requires night-time collection to keep the streets clean. Much of the trash collected consists of recyclable materials, such as beverage bottles and cans.
Solution: The Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste
Department decided to implement a PAYT program
which requires customers to purchase clear county-issued bags for their trash
and to pay for trash collection based on the frequency of collection needed. Due
to the space limitations downtown, the commercial business sector turned to an
all-bag collection program. The cost for the county-required, clear “trash” bags
is currently $1 per bag, while recycling bags are free of charge. This setup
makes recycling a more attractive and affordable option for downtown businesses
when compared to disposing of waste. The use of clear bags also makes it easy to
pinpoint which businesses could benefit from outreach about the benefits of
recycling.
In addition to the PAYT program, a night shift supervisor was hired in the county’s fiscal year 2007, to communicate with bars and restaurants in the PAYT program and to run the program more efficiently. Since the introduction of a night shift supervisor, the percentage of tons recycled by the downtown businesses has improved 96%.
For more about ACC's PAYT program, check out this Recycling Today Article from 2004.
What are some states doing on
a state-wide level to increase participation in recycling
programs?
One of the most effective ways to increase participation in recycling is through passing laws and putting regulatory measures in place to ensure efficient and comprehensive recycling programs. Encouraging legislators to approve funding for solid waste reduction programs is essential. For example, thanks to Florida legislators’ allocation of money in 1997, $1.2 Million was set aside to fund counties’ innovative solutions to Municipal Solid Waste and other Solid Waste. The funds supported projects, such as a Landfill Methane Reuse project, a Commercial and Institutional Electronics Recycling Program, and the Greening of Commercial and Institutional Venues and Events Program.
After the initiation of the South Carolina Solid Waste Policy and Management Act of 1991, the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control implemented a $2 advanced recycling fee which is added onto the cost of tires. This small amount of money has gone a long way and led to the recycling or disposal of 7 million tires from illegal stockpiles, the creation of the Asphalt Rubber Technology Service at Clemson University, grants for local governments to build tire drop off facilities that are convenient for its residents, and much more. This simple piece of legislation allowed the DHEC to implement the tire program, which is now recognized by the Rubber Manufacturers Association as one of the top scrap tire recycling programs in the country.
Programs such as North Carolina’s social marketing concept RE3.org and South Carolina’s Recycle
Guys,are also extremely effective resources for engaging the
community and raising awareness about the importance of recycling and its
accessibility.
Using social marketing techniques, the NC Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance designed RE3 to increase participation in recycling through positive behavior change. Recycling coordinators across the state use RE3 materials in their programs, presentations and interactions with the public to reinforce the RE3 concepts of recycling, reducing and reusing. Coupled with a statewide media campaign, including television and cinema ads, RE3 reaches from the mountains to the coast encouraging people to recycle – and not just at home. This campaign develops recycling behaviors at the office, at parties, at ballgames and anywhere else North Carolinians go.
Municipalities have also been reaching out to organizations such as the Curbside Value Partnership (CVP) with help in reaching their recycling goals. The CVP was created with two simple goals: to increase participation
in residential curbside recycling programs and to measure growth to enable
better decision making. The focus of CVP is social marketing. Resources for
creating public service announcements and developing and measuring community
recycling campaigns are available, as well as an educational toolkit. For a
glimpse at successful community recycling campaigns already developed in
partnership with CVP, click here.
Are there grants available to help my
community recycle more?
Local and state governments have a large to-do list when it comes to running
a recycling program. A key link you will want to bookmark on your computer is Grants.Gov, a Web site that helps local and state governments and
non-profit organizations find federal grant funding to help expand waste
reduction services. All federal agencies are required to post grant
notifications to this site. Your state
office may also have grant funding available.
The Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance provides detailed information regarding EPA grant
programs, including eligibility requirements, types of projects to be funded,
available grant amounts, etc. If you meet the criteria for an EPA assistance
program and wish to apply for a grant, you must fill out an application and
forward it to the appropriate EPA office. Your application will be evaluated, and
if it meets EPA standards, a grant may be awarded to your organization to fund
the project. For Region 4 contacts on grants, click here.
In case grant writing is not your strong suit, EPA offers tips on writing a grant
proposal, as well as an interactive software tool that walks users through the grant-writing process
and helps them learn to write more competitive grants.
Climate Change Frequent Questions
Does the transportation and reprocessing of recyclables outweigh the energy savings?
Is every-other-week curbside collection of recyclables worth the energy savings in gas?
How do I research and contact buyers for my community's recycled goods?
How does composting play a role in reducing GHGs?
What can be done in my community to avoid landfilling electronic waste?
How does recycling reduce GHGs and contribute to protecting the earth from climate change?
As waste materials undergo anaerobic decomposition in landfills, methane gas is produced and released into the atmosphere; when waste materials are incinerated, carbon dioxide (CO2) is released into the atmosphere. The addition of these gases to the earth’s atmosphere can have a warming effect on the earth. GHGs occur naturally and help trap heat in the upper atmosphere, creating climates that sustain life on our planet. However, increased concentrations of these gases can contribute to rising global temperatures, sea level changes, and other climate changes. Recycling prevents methane gas and CO2 emissions from landfills and incinerators by reducing gas-releasing waste in our landfills and incinerators. To understand more about the link between material solid waste and GHGs, visit EPA's general information Web site on Climate Change or check out the the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory Reports.Does the transportation and reprocessing of recyclables outweigh the energy savings?
Whether hauling waste to the landfill or to a recycling facility, transportation is required. While landfilling takes waste to its grave, recycling allows materials to have a new life cycle. Harvesting, extracting, and processing the raw materials used to manufacture new products is an energy-intensive activity. Reducing or nearly eliminating the need for these processes, therefore, achieves huge savings in energy. Recycling aluminum cans, for example, saves 95 percent of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from its virgin source, bauxite. The amount of energy saved differs by material, but almost all recycling processes achieve significant energy savings compared to production using virgin materials. Visit the EPA site for more information on Transportation and Recycling.Is every-other-week curbside collection of recyclables worth the energy savings in gas?
Although you may think that every other week collection of recycling saves energy by reducing fossil fuel combustion from trucks by 50%, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) found that the consequences of this collection method actually outweighs the benefits. Less frequent collection leads to 9-20% fewer participants, fewer recyclables, and greater time for contamination of recycled materials. Check out Oregon's DEQ GHG report for more information.
How do I research and contact buyers for my community’s recycled goods?
EPA has a fairly comprehensive listing of material waste exchanges. Information on what commodities are available or needed, as well as contacts, can be found at EPA's Jobs Through Recycling Web site.
How does composting play a role in reducing GHGs?
Composting is the controlled biological decomposition of organic matter, such as food and yard wastes, into humus, a soil-like material. Composting is nature's way of recycling organic waste into new soil, which can be used in vegetable and flower gardens, landscaping, and many other applications. In 2006, data on U.S. Municipal Solid Waste generation indicate that of the 251 million tons of solid waste generated, 12.9% is yard waste and 12.4% is food residuals. A large portion of food waste is generated from food processing, pre- and post-consumer utilization, and institutional locations (i.e., hospitals, universities, etc.). When yard waste and food residuals are composted rather than landfilled the amount of GHG emissions are reduced since composting is a biological process of decomposition which produces CO2 both during the composting process and after the compost is added to the soil. Because this CO2 is naturally-occurring and returns to the atmosphere through photosynthesis, it is not counted as a GHG in the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks. For more on composting, visit EPA's Composting Web site.
EPA has created several tools to aid community leaders in assessing their waste management practices and evaluating alternative management of waste. The Waste Reduction Model (WARM) is a free, user-friendly software tool that enables waste managers to compare GHG emissions from business-as-usual waste management practices with emissions from alternative strategies. The ReCon Tool calculates GHG emissions and energy consumption related to purchasing and/or manufacturing activities using analyses of baseline and alternative recycled-content scenarios, while the The Durable Goods Calculator estimates GHG emissions and energy in order to support voluntary gas measurement and reporting initiatives, as well as provide information regarding the GHG emission implications of waste management decisions. For a link to more tools,visit EPA's Climate Change Waste Tools Website.
EPA has several voluntary environmental programs. WasteWise is a voluntary partnership between EPA and U.S. businesses, Federal, tribal, state and local governments, and institutions to prevent waste, recycle, and buy and manufacture products made with recycled materials. Presently, more than 1,200 organizations are participating in the WasteWise program. In order to aid municipalities with Pay-As-You-Throw Programs, EPA provides technical and outreach assistance to encourage communities to implement PAYT systems for managing solid waste. Under PAYT, residents are charged based on the amount of trash they discard. This creates an incentive for them to generate less trash and recycle more. Currently, there are over 5,000 PAYT communities in the U.S. On average, communities with PAYT see waste reductions of 14 to 27%. For more information on the link between material solid waste and GHGs, visit the EPA Climate Change Website, and for more programs visit the EPA Voluntary Programs Website.
What can be done in my community to avoid landfilling electronic waste (e-waste)?
Starting with environmentally preferable products to begin with is the best way to combat the hazards associated with the disposal of e-waste. Look to purchase electronics that meet performance criteria showing they are environmentally preferable.
The Electronic Product Environmental
Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is a procurement tool to
help institutional purchasers in the public and private sectors evaluate,
compare and select desktop computers, notebooks, and monitors based on their
environmental attributes. EPEAT also provides a clear and consistent set of
performance criteria for the design of products, and provides an opportunity for
manufacturers to secure market recognition for efforts to reduce the
environmental impact of its products.
Community Development Frequent Questions
How does recycling impact the community?
Myth: There are no markets for recyclables in the Southeast.
Myth: There is plenty of space for landfills, making recycling unimportant.
Myth: When bottles are recycled, they just make more bottles.
Myth: Recycling is not worth the effort.
How does recycling impact the community?
- Fosters Sustainable Growth: A large supply of recycled materials attracts recycling industries to a community, contributing to the local economy and adding more jobs. According to EPA’s Recycling Economic Information (REI) study, jobs in the recycling industry generally pay higher than the national average. The recycling industry also adds to the tax base of a community. In South Carolina, $69 million of state tax revenue was collected in 2005 due to the recycling industry. For more information, check out EPA Region 4's fact sheet The Economics of Recycling in the Southeast: Understanding the Whole Picture.
- Improves Water Quality: According to the Mississippi State Task Force on Recycling, recycling a ton of paper saves as much as 7,000 gallons of water and reduces the potential contaminants that must be discharged to the environment. By decreasing the need to extract and process new raw materials from the earth, recycling can eliminate the pollution associated with the initial stages of a product’s development: material extraction, refining and processing. For more information, check out EPA Region 4's fact sheet Recycling: A Strong Component of Community Development.
- Improves Air Quality: According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), both indoor and outdoor air pollution pose hazards and are estimated to be responsible for nearly 5% of the global burden of disease. Superior waste reduction practices are instrumental in eliminating illnesses related to environmental pollutants. By reducing the waste stream significantly, the amount of GHGs released in landfills from anaerobic decomposition is decreased. Also, by reducing the need for raw materials in production, air pollution also improves. According to RE3.org, paper recycling reduces air pollution by up to 74%. By improving air quality, the further protection of human health is made possible.
- Decreases Need for Landfills: The placement of proposed landfills creates adversity and strong opposition in the community. The attitude of “not in my backyard” often prevails. Landfill placement leads to diminished property values and the potential for hazardous leaks. With the success of recycling in the community, waste is diverted from landfills, decreasing the need for new ones and the expansion of existing ones.
- Recycling Attracts Residents: A recycling community attracts concerned residents who further strengthen the neighborhood. Strong recycling programs often work hand-in-hand with beautification committees and organizations dedicated to the overall aesthetic appeal and environmental health of the neighborhood. These partnerships result in attractive communities with more to offer potential residents.
Myth: There are no markets for recyclables in the Southeast.
The Southeast has markets for all types of recyclables.- Several plastic recycling plants exist in the Southeast, including one of the largest in the country (KW Plastics) in Alabama and Coke’s new 30-acre plant in South Carolina scheduled to open in 2009.
- Georgia is the largest user
and manufacturer of recycled PET (beverage bottles) in the country.
- Georgia is also the second largest pulp and paper producing state in the nation, with 15 paper mills in the state using recycled fiber in their production. Nine of them rely completely on recycled content for their operations.
- North Carolina has a robust recycling industry working with virtually
all types of recycling commodities.
By collecting more recyclable commodities from homes and businesses, the Southeast can help set the stage for the future expansion of current manufacturing operations. That expansion will result in more jobs, stronger tax revenue, and an overall brighter economic picture for the region.
EPA has compiled a fairly comprehensive list of state-specific waste
exchanges. The site provides information on markets for buying and selling
reusable and recyclable commodities. In addition to EPA’s resources, Resource Recycling Magazine and other trade journals regularly post
current recycling markets. The non-profit Southern
Waste Information eXchang (SWIX) is a helpful tool as well. You can also contact your state’s
recycling representative for more in-depth information and assistance with
your community programs. EPA has information about the economics of
recycling as well.
For information about specific markets, check out these organizations:
- America’s Beverage Companies is a source for can and bottle recycling.
- Container Recycling
Institute is a source for information on all types of container
recycling.
- American
Plastics Council is a source for help regarding plastic recycling
opportunities and programs.
- Glass Packaging Institute is a one-stop resource for the latest news, trends and
other helpful information about glass packaging and glass recycling.
- Steel Recycling Institute is a source for information regarding steel recycling
opportunities.
- Paper Industry Association Council
(PIAC) serves as a source for information on paper recycling
opportunities.
- Southeast
Recycling Development Council, Inc. (SERDC) serves to unite industry professionals, government
agencies and individuals engaged in the business of recycling, to foster
communications among these groups, to promote sustainable recycling programs
and to coordinate education, and public awareness activities related to
recycling.
Myth: There is plenty of space for landfills, making recycling unimportant.
Recycling offers a host of environmental, economic, and societal benefits. While landfill space is plentiful on the national level, some areas of the U.S., particularly the heavily populated East Coast, have less landfill capacity and higher landfill costs. Communities can make money and avoid high disposal costs by selling certain recyclable materials. Markets for recovered materials fluctuate; however, as markets do for all commodities, depending on a variety of economic conditions.
A report released by the National
Recycling Coalition at the end of
2001 offers perhaps the most compelling evidence of how and why recycling makes
good economic sense. Simply put, recycling creates jobs and generates valuable
revenue for the U.S.. According to the U.S. Recycling Economic
Information Study, more than 56,000 recycling and reuse establishments in the
United States employ approximately 1.1 million people, generate an annual
payroll of $37 billion, and gross $236 billion in annual revenues. According to
the report, 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, according to the report. For additional information on the
economic impact of recycling, visit EPA's Jobs
Through Recycling Web site.
Myth: When bottles are recycled, they just make more bottles.
When plastic bottles are reprocessed to be recycled, the materials can be used as building blocks for a wide array of products. The same goes for most recyclables. Construction timbers can be made from recycled plastic. Other items made from recycled plastic are goggles, dog bowls, fleece jackets, carpets, and more. According to the American Beverage Association, glass bottles can be used in road pavement, marbles, beads, sand traps, fiberglass, and tiles. While aluminum from recycled cans is used in the production of fans, pans, washing machine parts, bicycles, furniture, and more. For more information on recycling commodities, check out EPA's municipal commodities Web site.
As long as the community is able to provide adequate recycling opportunities and accessibility, recycling should not be difficult for the consumer. The America’s Beverage Association’s Recycle It Now program believes that recycling success can be as simple as just reminding people to do it. As part of their campaign, they provide large plastic recycling containers in the form of a plastic soda bottle to not only encourage recycling, but to also make it easily accessible. Do not forget to provide visuals in the community so that every resident will know what can be recycled. For recycling outreach ideas including artwork, advertisements, and state contacts, go to the Region 4 Recycling site.
Myth: Recycling is not worth the effort.
Recycling is one of the best environmental success stories of the late 20th century. Recycling, which includes composting, diverted over 72 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators in 2003, up from 34 million tons in 1990—doubling in just 10 years. Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. As a matter of fact, collecting recyclable materials is just the first step in a series of actions that generate a host of financial, environmental, and societal returns. Below are several key benefits to recycling:
- Protects and expands U.S. manufacturing jobs and increases U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace. According to EPA’s Recycling Economic Information (REI) study, the recycling and reuse industry consists of approximately 56,000 establishments that employ over 1.1 million people, generate an annual payroll of nearly $37 billion, and gross over $236 billion in annual revenues. This represents a significant force in the U.S. economy and makes a vital contribution to job creation and economic development.
- Saves energy and prevents pollution caused by the extraction and
processing of virgin materials and the manufacture of products using virgin
materials. According to North Carolina’s RE3.org, recycling one ton of steel reduces air pollution by 86% and water pollution by 76%, and saves 74% of the energy
and 40% of the water that would have otherwise been used.
- Decreases emissions of GHGs that contribute to global climate change. States that producing recycled paper causes 74% less air pollution and 35% less water pollution than producing virgin paper. For more information on GHGs, such as methane and CO2, check out EPA Region 4’s climate change Web site.
- Conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals. By recycling paper, trees can be reserved for the use of higher-value products like timber and wood. Did you know that it takes about 24 trees to produce a ton of paper?
- Reduces the need for landfilling and incineration. Recycling means less waste, therefore, a smaller waste stream in need of disposal. Landfills not only pose a potential threat to the environment, but waste tipping fees in some communities can also add up, without the return on investment that recycling offers.
Learn about the benefits of recycling at EPA's Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Web site.
Recycling not only makes sense from an environmental standpoint, but also
makes good financial sense. For example, 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. RE3.org states that aluminum recycling creates an energy savings
of 95% compared to production from raw materials. This makes sense considering
mining for bauxite is required to produce aluminum 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.
In case grant writing is not your strong suit, EPA offers tips on writing a grant proposal, as well as an interactive software tool that walks users through the grant-writing process and helps them learn to write more competitive grants.