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ECONOMIC IMPACT OF LOCAL RECYCLING INDUSTRY SIGNIFICANT - $2.5 BILLION
Columbus, OH -- July 23, 2018 -- SWACO commissioned a first-ever study of the central Ohio
region’s recycling industry. The study revealed there are at least 372
recycling businesses directly employing over 5,000
workers with a payroll of $235 million and generating $1.3 billion in revenue.
When indirect and induced impacts of the companies supported by the recycling
industry are included, those figures rise to a workforce of 10,000 employees
and $2.5 billion in revenue, showing the significant impact the industry has on
the economy.
The study
also documented the direct connection between job creation and increased recycling.
In fact, the report suggests that if Franklin County’s residents and businesses
diverted 35-percent more of the material that is currently going to the landfill, an
estimated 400 additional jobs would be created, equating to $19 million in new
payroll and $115 million in
new gross revenues for central Ohio.
“What we’re beginning to document is
that recycling means business in central Ohio,” said Kyle O’Keefe, director of
innovation and programs at SWACO. “While the recycling industry in central Ohio
may not be well known, it packs a collective economic punch and is much larger
than is perceived. We always knew recycling was good for the environment; now
SWACO is documenting that it’s a local economic driver and a jobs-producer, as
well.”
SWACO hired DSM Environmental Services to conduct the study and
document the economic contributions of the recycling, reuse, and
remanufacturing industry. The report evaluated three sectors of the recycling
industry defined as:
1.
businesses that collect and process recyclable materials and
organics.
2.
businesses that rely on recycled materials to create new products.
3.
businesses that reuse materials that would otherwise be discarded.
While businesses that rely on recycled materials to create new
products, often referred to as recycling reliant industries, comprise the
smallest number of businesses (32), the report documented that those businesses
support the highest paying and largest number of jobs.
“Recycling’s
environmental benefits combined with the documented potential to create jobs
throughout the value chain – from collection through processing to
manufacturing – provides a strong incentive for SWACO and its’ member
communities to help support and strengthen the region’s recycling
infrastructure,” said Natalie Starr, DSM Environmental Services, Inc.
Following
recent decisions from China and other international countries to no longer
purchase loads of contaminated recyclable materials from the United States, opportunities
exist in central Ohio to support and create domestic markets for these
materials and to increase efforts related to proper recycling of accepted
materials.
In 2016, an estimated 2.1 million tons of residential and business
waste was generated in Franklin County, of which 46.5 percent was recycled
instead of sent to the landfill. Of the more than 1 million tons of material
sent to the landfill, nearly 70 percent still had the potential to be diverted
through recycling or composting.
“The County Commissioners have long been committed to
environmentally conscious policies,” said Franklin County Director of Economic
Development and Planning, James Schimmer. “This study just illustrates
another way in which thinking green is good for not only the environment but
also the economy. Recycling is an important part of development in Central
Ohio.”
“This report is simply the beginning of our efforts to document
and strengthen central Ohio’s recycling industry and circular economy,” O’Keefe
said. “We will use this information to increase our diversion activities and to
create an economic development strategy that leverages all of SWACO’s assets to
further contribute to the local economy.”
SWACO will continue to expand the database of recycling, recycling
reliant, and reuse and remanufacturing industries created from this project.
To read the full report, visit swaco.org.
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Editor’s note: About the Solid Waste Authority of
Central Ohio
The
Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO), established in 1989, is one of
52 single and multi-county solid waste management districts established under
Ohio’s solid waste management program. The primary goal of the State’s solid
waste management program is reducing reliance on landfills for solid waste
disposal in Ohio. SWACO provides residents and businesses with recycling
services and educational programs, while also operating the Franklin County
Sanitary Landfill and two area transfer stations. SWACO’s community outreach
programs help area communities to maintain a recycling, reuse and waste
reduction focus. For more information about SWACO services, programs or company
contacts, visit www.swaco.org or call 614-871-5100.
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