The Value of Recycling

Take Home Points• Recycling:

– Creates jobs– Is vital to the U.S. Economy– Is a viable industry– Reduces greenhouse gas emissions– Conserves natural resources– Conserves energy– Is strongly supported in the Valley– Is cost effective compared to other

waste disposal methods

What we are tracking• Job creation • Revenue generation – this is a

viable industry• Greenhouse gas emissions• Pollution reduction• Consumption of natural resources• Energy consumption• Local support• Cost effectiveness in relation to

landfilling

Benefits• Global and Local• Economic and Non-Economic

Job Creation• Recycling creates jobs

across commodities

Source: U.S. Recycling Economic Information (REI) Study

Job Creation• Recycling creates over four times as many jobs

as the waste management industry.

Source: U.S. Recycling Economic Information (REI) Study

Job Creation• Recycling creates jobs that pay competitive

salaries.

Source: U.S. Recycling Economic Information (REI) Study

Revenue Generation• Recycling is vital to the U.S.

Economy– The recycling industry:

• consists of approximately 56,000 establishments.• employs over 1.1 million people• generates an annual payroll of nearly $37 billion• grosses over $236 billion in annual revenues.

Revenue Generation• Recycling is vital to the U.S.

Economy– Recycling creates direct significant economic

activity

Source: U.S. Recycling Economic Information (REI) Study

Revenue Generation• Recycling is vital to the U.S.

Economy– Recycling creates direct significant economic

activity

Source: U.S. Recycling Economic Information (REI) Study

Revenue Generation• Recycling is vital to the U.S.

Economy– Recycling creates direct significant economic

activity

Source: U.S. Recycling Economic Information (REI) Study

Revenue Generation• Recycling is vital to the U.S.

Economy– Recycling creates direct significant economic

activity

Source: U.S. Recycling Economic Information (REI) Study

A Relevant and Viable Industry• In 2001, the U.S. produced more than

229 million tons of MSW– approximately 4.4 pounds of waste

per person per day– up from 2.7 pounds per person per

day in 1960. • In 2001, Recycling diverted 68 million

tons of material away from landfills and incinerators, up from 34 million tons in 1990.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions• Recycling reduces carbon dioxide,

methane and nitrous oxide by:– Decreasing the energy needed to make products

from virgin materials.– Reducing emissions from landfills.– Slowing the harvest of trees.

Source:http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/payt/tools/factfin.htm

Greenhouse Gases from LandfillsGHG

Pollution Reduction• Recycling reduces the amount of pollution

generated from using virgin materials to produce consumer goods.– The EPA has found that making paper from

recycled materials results in:• 74% less air pollution• 35% less water pollution• Every ton of recycled paper keeps almost 60 pounds of

pollutants out of the atmosphere that would have been produced if the paper had been manufactured from virgin resources.

(Paper Stock Institute. 1990. “Why Recycle Paper?” Recycling Paper.)

Consumption of Natural Resources

• Recycling conserves natural resources.– In 1987, the US used almost 1 billion barrels of

oil to make plastic— enough to meet the nation’s imported oil demand for five months (San Diego County Office of Education 1991. RAYS — Recycle and You Save.)

– Recycling one ton of writing paper saves 7,000 gallons of water. That’s equivalent to drinking 130 glasses every day for more than a year. (Newman, S. & Schwarz, M. 1993. 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Recycle. Berkeley, CA: EarthWorks Press.)

Energy Consumption• Recycling conserves energy and reduces the

need to extract and process ‘virgin’ raw materials to manufacture new products.

– It takes 1,050 recycled milk jugs to make a 6-foot plastic park bench. (EarthWorks Group. 1990. The Recycler’s Handbook. Berkeley, CA: The EarthWorks Press.)

– Recycling aluminum cans saves 95% of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from its virgin source, bauxite.

Global vs. Local• The global effects of recycling

are, in part, a result of our local actions.– Job creation– Revenue generation– Reducing greenhouse gas emissions– Pollution reduction– Lower consumption of natural

resources– Decreased energy consumption

Local Support (the facts)• ERC Recycling Survey

– 700 surveys from Hailey, Ketchum, Sun Valley

– Mid-December, 2002 to Mid-January, 2003

Local Support• How Important

isRecycling?

Local Support• Commodities Recycled Regularly

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Local Support• Encouraging

More Recycling

Metric Tons of Carbon Equivalent (MTCE)

– On average a person in Iowa produces about 3 MTCE per year from transportation and residential energy use.

– If you add in industrial and commercial activity in the state, the number grows to 6.74 MTCE per person per year.

Source: University of Northern Iowa http://www.uni.edu/ceee/news/_Lesson%201%20Estimating%20and%20Reducing%20Your%20Carbon%20Footprint_.pdf

Local Greenhouse Gas Emissions • Recycling reduces

carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.– Over the last 6

years, the Valley recycled 13,997 tons of material saving 5053 MTCE.

– The equivalent to taking 4073 cars off the road

49

-6000-5000-4000-3000-2000-1000

01000

MTCE

Recycling Landfilling

Local Energy Consumption• Recycling

conserves energy.– Over the last 6

years, the Valley recycled 13,997 tons of material saving 104 billion BTUs.

– The equivalent of taking 1024 houses off the grid, or

– Not combusting 729,456 gallons of crude oil.

3.44

-120-100-80-60-40-20

020

BTU's Used(billions)

Recycling Landfilling

Local Consumption of Natural Resources• Recycling conserves natural resources.

– Last year recycling paper in the Wood River Valley saved over 5000 trees.

Cost effectiveness• Recycling makes $ense.

– Should disposal options pay for themselves?• Landfilling?• Recycling?

• Let’s look at the numbers from the SISW annual reports, 1998 to the present…

Total Processing Cost Over the Past 6 Years.

$48,901

$10,989,588

0

2000000

4000000

6000000

8000000

10000000

12000000

Cost ($)

RecyclingLandfilling

Average Annual Processing Cost

$6,986

$1,547,937

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

Cost ($)

RecyclingLandfilling

Average Processing Cost per Ton

$3.49

$51.34

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Cost ($)

RecyclingLandfilling

BenefitsRecycling vs Landfilling

Jobs For every 4 jobs created by recycling…

…1 job is created by landfilling.

Industry Value

$236 billion industryAverage wage=32,500

Average wage=30,000

Natural Resource Conservation

Saved 5000 trees last yearSaved 28,419 million BTU’s of energy last year

Would have saved 0 treesWould have used 908 million BTU’s of energy

SISW Cost $3.49/ton $51.34/ton

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Saved 5350 MTCE Would have emitted 49 MTCE

Public Support

86% of locals think recycling is important

100% support trash; 4% support a landfill in their neighborhood

Take Home Points• Recycling:

– Creates jobs– Connects the Wood River Valley to a vital

part of the U.S. Economy– Is a viable, well established industry– Reduces greenhouse gas emissions– Conserves natural resources– Conserves energy– Is strongly supported in the Valley– Is cost effective compared to other waste

disposal methods