Study to Highlight Recycling Job Creation Potential
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA study to be unveiled this week suggests additional recycling efforts could lead to thousands of jobs in Indiana. Research from the Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University claims 66 percent of what Hoosiers throw away could be used as raw material by Indiana manufacturers. The full study will be released Wednesday. A new study conducted by the Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University shows that Indiana’s recycling industry is a grossly underutilized jobs resource.
Today, 66 percent of what gets thrown away by Hoosiers could be recovered and used as feedstock (raw material) by Indiana manufacturers. Another 17 percent of our waste could be turned into valuable compost. The Indiana Recycling Coalition wants to change that – to recover these resources – not only for the sake of the environment, but also for the sake of delivering more jobs to Indiana residents.
Because the collection and landfilling or incineration of discarded waste employs far fewer people than the collection, sorting and processing of recyclable and compostable materials, a shift to increased recycling could deliver thousands of jobs.
The study will be unveiled on Wednesday at an Indianapolis glass recycling plant whose Texas owners would likely expand and/or open new facilities if more recycled glass were available in Indiana.
WHAT:
Results of a study about the untapped job potential of Indiana’s recycling industry
WHEN:
Wed., Dec. 4
WHO:
Curtis Bucey, president and chief operating officer, Strategic Materials Inc.
Myles Cohen, president, Pratt Recycling, a division of Pratt Industries
Carey Hamilton, executive director, Indiana Recycling Coalition
Dan Schmidt, policy director for energy, environment, transportation and gaming in Gov. Pence’s office
WHERE:
Strategic Materials glass recycling plant, Indianapolis
Source: Indiana Recycling Coalition