Recycling, reuse and remanufacturing have positive economic impacts on the state’s economy, according to a study commissioned by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The study found the following benefits from the waste diversion industry:
• It sustains more than 85,000 jobs.
• State and local tax revenues generated from waste diversion activities amount to nearly $1.3 billion per year.
• The industry accounts for approximately 5 percent of Colorado’s overall economic output.
• For every job created within the waste diversion industry, one additional job is created elsewhere in the labor market.
“This study reveals that investing in infrastructure that helps reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills is a win-win situation for the economy and the environment,” said Eric Heyboer, Recycling Grant Program administrator at the department.
ENVIRON International, the consulting firm hired to complete the study, used the economic input-output modeling system IM-PLAN, or Impact Analysis for Planning, as the basis of its analysis. The firm also conducted a survey of businesses, nonprofits and local governments directly associated with the industry.
Read the entire report, Economic Study of Recycling in Colorado, at colorado.gov/cdphe/cdphenews.