More Jobs, Less Pollution: Growing the Recycling Economy in the U.S. shows how a stronger recycling economy would create 1.5 million new jobs in manufacturing, collection, and other careers. If done right, recycling jobs can be quality jobs with family-supporting wages.

Key findings

This study provides strong evidence that an enhanced national recycling and composting strategy in the United States can significantly and sustainably address critical national priorities including climate change, lasting job creation, and improved health. Achieving a 75 percent diversion rate for municipal solid waste (MSW) and construction and demolition debris (C&D) by 2030 will result in:

• A total of 2.3 million jobs: Almost twice as many jobs as the projected 2030 Base Case Scenario, and about 2.7 times as many jobs as exist in 2008. There would be a significant number of additional indirect jobs associated with suppliers to this growing sector, and additional induced jobs from the increased spending by the new workers.

• Lower greenhouse gas emissions: The reduction of almost 515 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (eMTCO2) from diversion activities, an additional 276 million eMTCO2 than the Base Case, equivalent to emissions from about 72 coal power plants or taking 50 million cars off the road.

• Less pollution overall: Significant reductions in a range of conventional and toxic emissions that impact human and ecosystem health.

• Unquantified benefits of reducing ecological pressures associated with use of non-renewable resources, conserving energy throughout the materials economy, and generating economic resiliency through stable, local employment.

More Jobs, Less Pollution: Growing the Recycling Economy in the U.S. was prepared by the Tellus Institute for Blue Green Alliance, Teamsters, SEIU, NRDC, Recycling Works, and GAIA.

Download the executive summary or the full report for Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

The report appendices are also available to download (PDF).

Recycling creates jobs — it’s that simple. The Story of Broke describes how subsidies for waste incinerators and other industries are part of propping up the the “dinosaur economy.” And as outlined in the Recycling Works! Federal Policy Statement, we need to move away  from subsidies that support the waste industry. Together we can build a strong recycling economy that provides quality jobs.

California’s “green economy” survey results estimate that recycling workers make up 27% of the state’s 433,000 jobs in the green economy, according to the California Economic Development Department. That’s over 115,000 jobs in recycling in California, which is driven by the state’s 50% waste diversion requirement. The same survey found that Recycling was the top green business practice reported by business: 85% of California businesses said that they recycle, and 54% said they used recycled products. Both of these are critical to creating a stronger materials management economy.

AB 222 in California would have given staged incinerators like gasification and pyrolysis new incentives through making them eligible for the state renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) and would have made them equal to recycling in the state waste reduction requirements. Communities across California and the US have stopped dozens of proposals for these types of incinerators because of the consequences to health, the environment, the climate, and the local economy, and because recycling and composting provide far more jobs. California’s strong recycling policies would have been weakened by these incentives.

AB 222 was defeated after a two year fight in the 2009-2010 session. A few days before the end of the session in August, all of the waste-related language was stripped out the bill and it was replaced with new language about childcare — this new language with the same bill number was passed.

Labor, environmental, and recycling organizations joined together to defeat this example of bad waste policy, and together we will create more opportunities for waste diversion, recycling and composting — not to mention job growth.

Detroit is home to some of Michigan’s worst polluting facilities, including the Detroit Incinerator and much more. GAIA and the Michigan Teamsters supported the Zero Waste Detroit coalition’s June 26, 2010 march for “Clean Air, Good Jobs & Justice” in Detroit at the world’s largest incinerator. Over 1,000 people took to the streets to demand the closure of the burner, and the creation of good jobs in recycling in Detroit.

Read the coverage in the Teamsters Local 337 newsletter entitled “Teamsters Support Green Jobs” (PDF) and see a video of the action.

The campaign for justice, clean air and good jobs is growing stronger in Detroit!

In April 2010, the Teamsters presented a poster on occupational health and safety in the waste sector (PDF) at the OSHA National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health & Safety. To learn more about the issues facing sanitation workers, see the report In Harm’s Way on Teamster.org.

Toolkit for public interest groups to encourage local government to demonstrate political support for recycling as a national jobs, climate and energy priority. (March 2010)

Recycling Works calls the inclusion of state recycling programs in the new Senate climate bill an important step towards rebuilding the economy, and looks forward to working with the Senate on details of these programs. (Press Release, Sept. 30, 2009)