The recycling and reuse industry is involved in metals, paper, plastics, glass, organic materials, computers and electronics, tires, and other post-consumer and post-industrial scrap. Jobs in this industry involve the collection, processing, reuse, remanufacturing, sales, and more.
Also Read: WORLDWIDE POLLUTION CONTROL
Trash to treasure the recycling industry
Let’s take a deep dive into this TRASH TO TREASURE RECYCLING INDUSTRY
- Recycling and Reuse Add Value to the US Economy
According to the study, the recycling and reuse industry consists of approximately 56,000 establishments that employ more than 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 US economy and makes a vital contribution to job creation and economic development.
Estimates of Direct Economic Activity
Annual Payroll and Estimated Receipts are in $1,000. Throughput is in Thousands of Tons.
| Data Type | Recycling Collection | Recycling Processing | Recycling Manufacturing | Reuse and Remanufacturing | Industry Total |
| Establishments | 9,247 | 12,051 | 8,047 | 26,716 | 56,061 |
| Employment | 32,010 | 160,865 | 759,746 | 169,183 | 1,121,804 |
| Annual Payroll | 956,875 | 3,826,360 | 29,181,749 | 2,747,498 | 36,712,482 |
| Estimated Receipts | 1,974,516 | 41,753,902 | 178,390,423 | 14,182,531 | 236,301,371 |
| Estimated Throughput1 | 191,082 | 191,082 | 157,545 | N/A | N/A |
Recycling is Competitive with Other Major Industries
Comparison of Industry Employment
Comparison of Annual Wages per Job
The 5 Most Profitable Items for a Recycling Center
- Aluminum cans and plastic bottles. …
- Old cooking oil. …
- Old electronics, computers, and appliances. …
- Car batteries. …
- Scrap metal.
What are the 3 types of recycling?
These are three types of recycling:
- Mechanical Recycling.. …
- Energy Recycling.
- Chemical Recycling.
Recycling is a profitable business The recycling industry is an economic engine, providing over 500,000 jobs in America and creating more than $100 billion in revenue. The metal, paper, plastics, electronics, textiles, and glass in the recycling stream are inherently valuable.
When you recycle more, you help to put a break to the exploitation of natural resources extracted from the natural habitats of wildlife. Not only that, you also help to reduce the need to grow, harvest, or extract new raw materials from Mother Earth.
Recycling saves energy and water, lowers pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, improves air and water quality, preserves landfill space and conserves natural resources. It doesn’t make sense to use paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, steel, and petroleum products once and then throw them away!
Academician Dr. Sc. Dragan Jovanov
(Academician, Inventor, Scientist, Researcher, Educator, Humanist, Agroecologist, Phytoterapist)
