Not only does recycling reduce landfill waste and greenhouse gases, but it also creates the opportunity for additional job industries and overall strengthens our economy. According to, “More Jobs, Less Pollution” if 75% of the nation recycled, there would be 2.3 million more jobs available.

Here are 4 new job opportunities that come with recycling:

1. Manufacturing Companies

Many companies take recycled materials and make them into new products, just as we do here at CleanRiver. There's a wide array of products that can be manufactured from recycled materials, including; recycling bins, shoes, grocery bags, picnic tables, lawn furniture, playground equipment, countertops, kitty litter, and baseball bats. Each of these products opens up a wide array of new job opportunities, including production, marketing, accounting, human resources, sales, engineering, etc.

job opportunities2. Recycling Facilities

Recycling facilities collect, sort, and process recycled materials. A few jobs include sorters, tractor drivers, and managers to oversee the process. Did you know each year, Canadians produce roughly 13.4 million tonnes of waste and 73% ends up in a landfill while the remainder is recycled. Over time, the population is recognizing the benefits and importance of recycling and the sheer volume of recycling continues to grow. The more people recycle, the more job opportunities there are at recycling facilities.

3. Collection Jobs

Every week, a truck is sent around to collect recycling from each household in their community. This also generates thousands of jobs, as there are truck drivers job opportunitiesand collectors designated for each township across the country. It's estimated that roughly 15-20 million people worldwide are waste collectors.  If you're unsure what your collection schedule is, it's easy enough to find online. Your township will have a website that outlines when garbage and recycling is collected, as well as drop-off locations. For example, here's the collection schedule for the city of Toronto. For more information on what can and cannot be recycled, check out our blog: What to Recycle and What Not to Recycle.

4. Stores Reusing Materials

There are plenty of stores that re-sell recycled items for purchase, including Goodwill, Value Village, and the Salvation Army. These stores employ cashiers, cleaners, and managers. As you can see recycling not only does great things for the environment it also helps to enhance the economy by opening many different industries of businesses and a wide variety of job opportunities follow. sean-benesh-xNL-QO_PfDo-unsplash__________________________________________________________________________________________

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recycling program, situational renders CleanRiver Recycling provides a variety of innovative, flexible and customizable recycling solutions. To determine the right solution to meet your needs, use the CleanRiver product selector. If you have additional questions that weren’t answered in this blog post please call us at 1-866-479-4038 or email solutions@cleanriver.com.