Recycling is Benefiting the Economy by Adding New Michigan Jobs

My wife and I try to recycle everything as much as possible.  We both think it's equally important because recycling is benefiting the economy.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the importance of recycling in Michigan and put a greater emphasis on increasing the quality of the state's recyclable materials for end market use.

Matt Flechter, recycling market development specialist for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said, recycling has always been environmentally and economically important, but market shifts in the wake of the pandemic have made it even more so.  (Detroit Free Press)

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Flechter also adds the consequence of less recycling by businesses is that fewer recyclables are in the supply chain for paper companies to make products.  (Detroit Free Press)

Ultimately, this is a call to action that will have a wide ranging economic impact in Michigan.  Recycling can boost job growth in Michigan and make us a beacon to attract talent from around the world.  (Detroit Free Press)

According to the Detroit Free Press, it's important to recognize that the items we discard on a weekly basis from our homes represent resources.  Those materials can be part of an economic equation that feeds a critical supply chain for manufacturing.  And that means jobs.

So the next time you clean out your garage, attic or basement, don't just throw everything away.  Just remember to reduce, reuse, recycle, and rebound.  This could all equate to more than 100,000 new jobs across Michigan.  (Detroit Free Press)