$ Financing
Documents
larket
Development
Technical
Assistance
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA530-F-98-001
December 1997
www.epa.gov/jtr
Jobs Through Recycling
Program
www.epa.gov/jtr
What Is the Connection Between
Jobs and Recycling?
T
oday more than one quarter of all municipal solid waste generated in the United
States is recycled, and the amount of material collected for recycling continues to
grow. Nearly 9,000 cities and counties now operate curbside recycling collection pro-
grams—up from less than 1,000 just 10 years ago.
While many people appreciate the environmental benefits of recycling, such as the conserva-
tion of natural resources and of landfill space, few recognize that recycling has significant eco-
nomic benefits as well. Recycling also creates new businesses that haul, process and broker
recovered materials, as well as companies that manufacture and distribute products made with
these recycled materials. All of these recycling businesses put people to work.
In fact, recycling is estimated to create nearly five times as many jobs as landfilling.
Regional and state studies document that recycling has created hundreds of thousands of
jobs around the country and added billions of dollars to the economy. One study conducted
by the Northeast Recycling Council, for example, found that in 10 Northeastern states, more
than 103,000 people are employed in firms that process or manufacture recycled materials,
adding more than $7.2 billion in value to these recovered materials. The jobs created by recy-
cling businesses draw from the full spectrum of the labor market, ranging from low-skilled
to highly-skilled positions. Materials sorters, dispatchers, truck drivers, brokers, sales repre-
sentatives, process engineers, and chemists are just some of the people needed in the recy-
cling industry. In short, recycling is actively contributing to America's economic vitality.
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Types of JTR Grants
1 Recycling and Reuse Business Assistance
Centers (RBACs): Located in state solid waste or
economic development agencies, these centers pro-
vide a unique mix of technical, business, financial,
and marketing assistance to local companies using
recovered materials. RBAC activities include helping
to site new processing and manufacturing facilities,
conducting technical pilot projects, and locating
sources of supply for recycling businesses.
1 Recycling Economic Development Advocates
(REDAs): Hired by a state or tribal economic
development office, REDAs are specialists who pro-
vide business, technical, and financing assistance to
companies processing or using recovered materials.
This includes helping companies write effective
business plans, secure financing, and assess the mar-
ketplace for recovered materials. REDAs also coor-
dinate solid waste and economic development
efforts.
1 Demonstration Projects: Through commodity-
specific demonstration projects, states and tribes
develop markets for recovered materials, test prod-
uct specifications, and foster new and innovative
recycling programs. By sharing information, other
market development professionals reap the benefits
of these ground-breaking efforts.
1 Investment Forums: Recycling investment forums
are events designed to bring investors, financiers,
and economic development officials together with
entrepreneurs seeking capital for recycling-related
businesses. The forums educate investors about
recycling investment opportunities and assist in rais-
ing capital for business growth and expansion.
What Is EPA's Jobs Through
Recycling Initiative?
EPA is helping to fuel employment growth in the recycling
industry through its Jobs Through Recycling (JTR) initiative,
whose overall goal is to put the tools of business develop-
ment—technology transfer, financing, and marketing—into
the hands of recycling businesses.
The objectives of the Jobs Through Recycling program
are to:
• Expand markets for recycled and reusable materials.
• Stimulate economic development.
• Create jobs.
To achieve these objectives and foster recycling market
development, the JTR program offers a variety of grants
(described in the sidebar to the left). In addition, the pro-
gram develops and distributes market development infor-
mation and facilitates the networking of recycling market
development professionals.
JTR supports an active network of state and regional
contacts who develop innovative pro-
grams and provide useful information
to recyclers and related businesses.
How Does JTR
Work?
JTR grantees around the country are working
to stimulate the development of recycling and reuse
businesses, increase the use of recyclable or reusable
materials, and contribute to job creation and retention.
Since launching the JTR program in 1994, EPA has
awarded more than $7.2 million in grant funding to 36
states, five tribes, and three multistate organizations. This
investment has paid dividends for recycling. A review of
four well-established programs, for example, shows that
an investment of $1 million in JTR grants has helped
businesses create more than 1,700 jobs and $290 million
in capital investment.
Through the JTR program, EPA helps develop
and strengthen recycling market development and
economic development programs. Economic develop-
ment is a long-term process, whose results are often real-
ized after the 12- to 24-month JTR grant period.
JTR grants act as "seed money" to help create new and
expanding business development programs that are
designed to become self-sustaining in future years.
The initiative also advocates partnerships among industry,
financial institutions, local governments, universities, and
other organizations.
Visit the JTR web site at
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Who Benefits from the
Program?
Existing and Startup Recycling Businesses Benefit From the
Assistance of Grantees By:
• Locating recovered-material feedstocks.
• Getting assistance in preparing and presenting a
business plan, loan application, or investment "pitch."
• Gaining access to technical information to modify
equipment for using recovered materials.
Solid Waste Officials Benefit By:
' Obtaining technical, marketing, and financial
information to assist in advancing and promoting
the recycling industry.
• Building relationships with recycling processors
and manufacturers.
Economic Development Officials Benefit By:
' Tapping into a vibrant and growing industry sector.
• Accessing the most up-to-date information on
recycling businesses and markets.
Financiers Benefit Bj:
* Identifying promising recycling investment
opportunities.
• Establishing relationships with startup and
expanding recycling businesses.
Who Is Eligible for Grants?
The JTR program currently offers grants to U.S. states,
U.S. territories, Native American tribes, and multistate
and multitribe organizations. EPA offers a range of pro-
ject funding opportunities through the JTR program
and will consider requests up to $200,000. For first-time
applicants, EPA currently requires nonfederal matching
funds of at least 25 percent of the federal funding
requested. For a request of $150,000 in federal funds,
for example, the minimum nonfederal investment would
be $37,500.
JTR grants are awarded on an annual basis through a
highly competitive process. Direct communication
between those seeking funding and EPA regional JTR
contacts is key to the grant proposal process. Those
interested in project funding should start by contacting
their JTR regional contact (listed on the back of this
brochure) to discuss project ideas.
JTR Programs
Bolster State Recycling Markets
Established in 1995, the North Carolina RBAC con-
tinues to provide hundreds of companies with tech-
nical and business development assistance, including
guidance with business plans, siting locations, zoning
and permitting requirements, and regulatory issues.
As of 1997, the RBAC's efforts helped:
• secure more than $5 million in capital investments;
• create 185 jobs;
• foster approximately 217,000 tons per year of
added manufacturing capacity utilizing collected
recyclables; and
• facilitate more than $2 million in grants and loans to
recycling businesses by leveraging state resources,
forming partnerships with lending institutions, and
investing in demonstration projects.
The Arizona REDA provides a range of program
services for recycling businesses in the state. Projects
have ranged from recruiting a major paper manufac-
turer to working with a company that processes scrap
plate and window glass into reflective coatings of
highway signs. Since 1994, the REDA has helped:
• create 672 new recycling-oriented jobs,
• attract more than $200 million in recycling busi-
ness investment, and
• expand recycled material capacity by approximate-
ly 758,000 tons annually in the state.
How Do I Learn More
About JTR?
In addition to business assistance and networking
opportunities, the JTR program offers a number of
resources, including publications, an annotated bibliog-
raphy of market development resources, and
MarketShare, an ongoing source of tips and strategies
for improving your recycling market development pro-
gram. Market development professionals throughout
the country participate on JTR's Internet List Server to
ask questions, and trade ideas and suggestions. For
more information, visit our web site at
or contact the EPA regional JTR
coordinator from the list in this brochure.
Visit the JTR web site at
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Other EPA Market
Development Activities
In addition to the JTR program, EPA supports a number of other market development programs, including:
WasteWi$e. This voluntary partnership program assists state, local, and tribal governments; businesses; and other orga-
nizations to reduce waste through commitments in three areas: waste prevention, recycling collection, and buying or
manufacturing products with recycled content. WasteWi$e encourages partners to identify cost-effective waste reduction
strategies and measure the results of changes implemented. For more information, call 800 EPA-WISE or visit the
WasteWi$e web site at .
Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG). This program promotes buying recycled products by requiring feder-
al, state, and local agencies or government contractors using appropriated federal funds to buy from a list of designated
recycled-content products. EPA also issues guidance in Recovered Materials Advisory Notices (RMANs), which recom-
mend levels of recycled-content for these items. For more information on this program, visit EPA's Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle...Through Procurement web site at .
The Chicago Board of Trade Recyclables Exchange. This Internet-based exchange is a centralized marketplace for
buying and selling recovered materials such as glass, plastic, paper, and other miscellaneous items. Participants from all
over the globe can use the online exchange to post buy and sell listings and obtain information on material type, quanti-
ty, price, and other relevant data. The Exchange is located at .
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Waste. For general information on EPA's solid waste reduction and recycling programs,
visit .
•it
Region 1
(CT,ME,MA,NH,RI,VT)
Cynthia Greene
617 565-3165
greene.cynthia
@epamail.epa.gov
Region 2
(NY,NJ,PR,VT)
Barbara Belasco
212 637-4182
belasco.barbara
@epamail.epa.gov
Region 3
(DE,DC,MD,PA,VA,WV)
Michael Giuranna
215 566-3298
giuranna. mike
@epamail.epa.gov
EPA Regional Office Contacts for the
Jobs Through Recycling Initiative
(As of December 1997)
Region 4
(AL,FL,GA,KY,MS,NC,
SC,TN)
Todd Smiley
404 562-8478
smiley.todd
@epamail.epa.gov
Region 5
(IL,IN,MI,MN,OH,WI)
Paul Ruesch
312 886-7598
ruesch.paul
@epamail.epa.gov
Region 6
(AR,LA,NM,OK,TX)
Tracie Donaldson
214 665-6633
donaldson.tracie
@epamail.epa.gov
Region 7
(IA,KS,MO,NE)
David Flora
913 551-7523
flora, david
@epamail.epa.gov
Region 8
(CO,MT,ND,SD,UT,WY)
Whitney Trulove-Cranor
303 312-6099
trulove-cranor.whitney
@epamail.epa.gov
Region 9
(AS,AZ,CA,GU,HI,NV)
Julia Wolfe
415 744-2131
wolfe.julia
@epamail.epa.gov
$
Region 10
(AK,ID,OR,WA)
John Dumas
206 553-6522
dumas.john
@epamail.epa.gov
Headquarters
John Leigh
703 308-7896
leigh.john
@epamail.epa.gov
Sue Nogas
703 308-7251
nogas.sue
@epamail.epa.gov
) Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber.
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