Economic Impact of Central Ohio's Recycling, Reuse and Remanufacturing Industry: June 2018 Report

The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (“SWACO”) announced the issuance of a report titled:

Economic Impact of Central Ohio's Recycling, Reuse and Remanufacturing Industry (“Report”)

The June 2018 Report’s purpose was stated to include the quantification of:

. . . the economic impacts of the Recycling Industry as it stands today, and project further opportunities for economic growth through expansion of recycling.

SWACO contracted with DSM Environmental Services, Inc., to help prepare the Report.

The Report’s scope is stated to include:

• Identifying entities currently working in the recycling industry, and estimate the economic impact of their activities in the region
• Provide stakeholders, policymakers, as well as local and regional economic development practitioners, with a comprehensive analysis of the identified Recycling Industry’s current and potential economic impact, including jobs, payroll and revenues contributed to the region’s economy
• Provide SWACO with a database of these industries and their major economic activities to enable the opportunity to link generators of recycled materials with the end users

The Report’s conclusions included:

• 46.5 percent of the 2.1 million tons of residential business waste generated in the service region in 2016 was diverted from landfill disposal
• There are clear economic benefits to greater diversion
• 372 establishments make up the region’s Recycling Industries
  • Employee 5,000 workers
  • Payroll of $235 million
  • 1.3 billion in revenues
• Recycling Industry includes:
  • Firms collecting and processing recyclable materials and organics
  • Firms buying recycled materials to produce new products
  • Firms which reuse or remanufacture materials that would otherwise be discarded
• Indirect and induced economic impacts related to these industries are also substantial and are estimated to double the direct impacts
• Diverting an additional 35 percent could provide additional direct economic impacts of:
  • 400 jobs
  • $19 million in new payroll
  • $115 million in new gross revenues

A copy of the Report can be downloaded below.