Recycling has a positive impact on U.S. economy: study

Dive Brief:

A new study by the Environmental Research and Education Foundation (EREF) has found that recycling is creating a positive impact on the U.S. economy, as the number of recyclables being processed continues to increase. The report found that there are 3,457 recycling facilities currently open, compared with 1,652 in previous estimates.
EREF estimated the amount of waste generated in the U.S. is 128.4 million tons higher than EPA numbers. EREF puts municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in 2013 at 382.5 million tons, about 28% of which is recycled or composted. This amounts to about 89.1 million tons being recycled — or about 1.6 pounds per person per day.
The study also found that 43 states have numeric or incremental waste diversion goals, which aim to increase recycling, improve recycling, divert waste from landfills, or reduce waste disposal.

Dive Insight:

The EREF report, which was debuted at Waste360's Recycling Summit last week, is chock-full of numbers: Its calculation of the number of composting facilities was 3,654, significantly higher than the 509 in previous estimates; there are 1,637 landfills, compared with 1,802 previously; there are 80 waste-to-energy units vs. 94 (EREF's landfill figure doesn't include construction and demolition landfills and EPA's data does). That brings total waste and recycling operations to 8,828 facilities, according to EREF. Previous estimates total 4,057.

Warren Bimblick, group president for New York-based Penton, which operates Waste360, the Recycling Summit and WasteExpo, said, "The economic benefits outlined by EREF highlight the societal value provided by the recycling industry and the potential for future growth as it continues to gain momentum."

Sharon Kneiss, president and CEO of the National Waste & Recycling Association, which produced the Recycling Summit along with Waste360, added, "This new data provides an important platform through which we can collaborate with our members and partners to achieve the right balance between the economical and ecological health of recycling."