It’s easy to see how recycling helps the environment, but do you also know that it benefits the economy? Every year, recycling pumps $200 billion into the U.S. economy. With the population continuing to rise, recycling is an important component of creating a sustainable future. Not only that, but it also helps boost the economy in some ways you might find surprising.

Supporting the Local Economy

Recycling produces billions of dollars every year that get funneled into state and local tax revenues. This money is then used by the government to reinvest in state-funded programs such as welfare, the educational system, and other programs needed by the community. Not only do investments in recycling help save money, but it also creates more revenue from taxation of worker’s wages in the industry.

Job Creation

According to Ecycle.org, the recycling and reuse industry creates nine times as many jobs as that of landfills and incinerators. Not only that, but recycling jobs generally have great wages and benefits for their workers, leading to happier and healthier employees. It’s not just jobs at recycling centers that are created, however. There are whole businesses that are dedicated to producing products from recycled materials. Recycling as a way of life has opened a whole new avenue for industry and business.

Energy Reduction

Recycling materials takes far less energy from natural resources than creating new materials. The reason this can be important for the local economy is that those savings can be passed on to invest in smarter spending or investments for the community. The money that is saved from energy consumption can be used to fund important programs that address the needs of urban areas, for example.

It’s not just the state that benefits from these savings, however. Businesses can also save money by recycling, which will leave them more money for job creation and growth.

Helping the Global Economy

A lot of our recyclables actually end up processed into “bales” and sold to other countries to make products out of. This can help countries that don’t have the resources to support manufacturing raw materials to make goods from. Countries with sparse tree populations benefit from recycled paper to produce products out of, for example. In this way, they get the materials they need to support their industries.

The positive impact of recycling reaches far beyond just being good for the environment. Not only does it create jobs, but it helps companies save money to reinvest into other technologies and programs. It can improve our relationship with other countries and help them support their economies as well.

James Montano