Research Debuted at Penton's Waste360 Recycling Summit Shows Recycling Creates a Positive Impact on the United States Economy
NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Environmental Research and Education Foundation (EREF), the nonprofit that funds and directs scientific research and educational initiatives for waste management practices, unveiled new research at Penton's Waste360 Recycling Summit (waste360recyclingsummit.com) during an education session today that shows that recycling creates a positive impact on the United States economy.
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The Waste360 Recycling Summit produced in partnership with the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA), is taking place this week and examines the critical issues surrounding recycling and sustainability and has brought together industry thought leaders, practitioners, customers and manufacturers to discuss the industry challenges and opportunities.
During the presentation, the EREF team discussed the differences in recycling policies, goals across the United States and how those differences in definitions can vary in each city and state. They also developed and provided a definitional framework that highlights how recycling goals can be based on measurable metrics and presented a national picture of how much recycling is occurring and highlights differences between states and regions. In addition, EREF explored the differences in types of recycling facilities that exist nationwide and discussed how trends in waste generation and recycling policies may affect future efforts.
This is the most significant study of its kind, which shows a much-anticipated national view of recycling. Key highlights include:
- EREF's has verified nearly 3,500 active recycling facilities in the United States, which is over twice that of previous estimates.
- EREF's estimate on the amount of waste generated in the United States is 128.4 million tons higher than EPA numbers. This constitutes a 50% difference in tonnage and suggests that significantly more waste is being generated in the United States and managed by the solid waste industry.
- Although the national recycling rate estimated by EREF is comparable to that given by the EPA (23% vs. 25%), EREF found that the tonnage of recyclables processed is nearly 40% higher.
"Recycling practices across the United States vary widely. These practices are significantly influenced by the policies and goals set by state/local agencies and the implementation of recycling programs within the community," said Bryan Staley, Ph.D., P.E., President and CEO, EREF. "Our team took a look at the national picture of what is happening across the industry to create a new structure of measureable metrics. Previous estimates of recycling facilities identified less than 1,700 recycling facilities. Thus, this study is one of the most comprehensive efforts thus far on quantifying the extent of recycling occurring in the United States."
"This is fantastic news for the recycling industry," added Warren Bimblick, group president, Penton. "As the only research organization of its kind dedicated to the recycling industry, I am very pleased that EREF chose to share the exciting results with the industry at the Summit. The economic benefits outlined by EREF highlight the societal value provided by the recycling industry and the potential for future growth as it continues to gain momentum."
"EREF's thorough research shines an important light on the future of recycling. This new data provides an important platform through which we can collaborate with our members and partners to achieve the right balance between the economical and ecological health of recycling," commented Sharon H. Kneiss, president and CEO of NWRA. "We are pleased with the exceptional substance of this event including EREF's research release in addition to the education sessions we have curated in conjunction with Penton Waste360 that have provided value to Summit attendees."
To learn more about this effort and other EREF Internal Research Program reports, visit: www.erefdn.org and click the "Internal Research" link.
For more information on the Waste360 Recycling Summit, please visit http://www.waste360recyclingsummit.com or follow Waste360 on Twitter at @Waste360.
About NWRA
The National Waste & Recycling Association is the leading organization providing leadership, advocacy, research, education and safety expertise for the waste and recycling industries. NWRA advocates at the Federal, State and Local levels on all issues of importance to our member companies as they provide safe, economically sustainable and environmentally sound services to communities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For more information about how innovation in the waste and recycling industry is helping solve today's environmental challenges, visit: www.wasterecycling.org.
About EREF
EREF is a 501(c)3 class charity that funds and directs scientific research and educational initiatives for waste management practices to benefit industry participants and the communities they serve. For more complete information on EREF funded research, its scholarship program and how to donate to this great cause, visit www.erefdn.org.
About Penton's Waste360 Group
Penton's Waste360 Group harnesses the power of its many properties to serve the solid waste and recycling industry. The industry widely consumes this content in the form of websites, live events, online learning and digital opportunities and more and includes: Waste360.com, WasteExpo, The Global Waste Management Symposium, The Healthcare Waste Conference, the Waste360 Recycling Summit, and topical and timely e-newsletters. For more information, visit www.waste360.com.
About Penton
Penton is an innovative information services company that empowers nearly 20 million business decision makers in markets that drive more than 12 trillion dollars in purchases each year. Our products inform with rich industry insights and workflow tools; engage through dynamic events, education and networking; and advance business with powerful marketing services programs. Penton is the way smart businesses buy, sell and grow.
Headquartered in New York, Penton is privately owned by MidOcean Partners and Wasserstein & Co., LP. For more information, visit http://www.penton.com or follow us on Twitter @PentonNow.
Media Contacts:
Samantha Kops
Horn Group for Penton
(646) 202-9756
[email protected]
Meredith Fortunato
Marketing Director, Waste360 Recycling Summit
Penton
[email protected]
Kristy Pickurel
Director, Development & Communications
Environmental Research and Education Foundation
(919) 861.6876 ext. 103
[email protected]
Jessica Mayorga
National Waste & Recycling Association
(202) 364-3706
[email protected]
SOURCE Penton
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