United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5305W)
EPA530-K-95-009
September 1995
State and Tribal
Partnerships to Promote
Jobs Through Recycling
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Jobs Through
Recycling:
RBACs and REDAs
What Is the Connection Between Jobs
and Recycling?
Across America, more individuals, organizations,
businesses, and governments are collecting
materials for recycling than ever before. The
number of curbside recycling programs has grown 500
percent over the past five years. In fact, recycling is now
managing almost one quarter of all waste generated in
the United States.
But keeping valuable resources out of landfills is only part
of the recycling story. Recycling also creates new
businesses that haul, process, and broker recovered
materials, as well as companies that manufacture and
distribute recycled products. And these recycling
businesses put people to work.
Recycling is estimated to create nearly five times as
many jobs as landfilling. One study reported that 103,000
jobs, or 2.7 percent of all manufacturing jobs in the
Northeast region of the United States, are attributable to
recycling. The jobs created by recycling businesses draw
from the full spectrum of the labor market (ranging from
low- and semi-skilled jobs to highly skilled jobs).
Materials sorters, dispatchers, truck drivers, brokers,
sales representatives, process engineers, and chemists
are just some of the jobs needed in the recycling industry.
Recycling is actively contributing to America's economic
vitality.
Jobs Jhmgli tolling InitiaM
EPA is helping to fuel this growth in the recycling industry
through its Jobs Through Recycling Initiative. The
Initiative puts the tools of business development—
technology transfer, financing, and marketing—into the
hands of recycling businesses. It facilitates cooperation
and communication among solid waste officials,
economic development organizations, and businesses
involved in collecting, processing, remanufacturing, and
selling products made from recovered materials.
Hie Jobs Jtimsti Hasfelinj InMatm
Expand markets for recycled materials.
Stimulate economic development.
Create jobs.
Through grants to states and tribes, EPA is focusing its
resources on the following four components of the
Initiative:
• Recycling and Reuse Business Assistance Centers
(RBACs): Located in state solid waste or economic
development agencies, these centers provide recycling
businesses with the customized and targeted help they
need to be successful.
• Recycling Economic Development Advocates (REDAs):
Hired by a state or tribal economic development office,
these specialists seek to focus the traditional tools of
their office—financial, marketing, and permitting
assistance—on recycling business creation, and to
coordinate solid waste and economic development
efforts.
i • : . . ' . ''
• Recycling Technology Assistance Partnership (ReTAP)
National Network: Designed as a national information-
sharing resource, ReTAP will ensure that technical
knowledge gained in one corner of the United States
spreads throughout the country to help businesses and
manufacturers increase their use of recovered materials.
• Interagency Cooperation: Working closely with other
agencies such as the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (MIST) and the Department of Commerce,
EPA is focusing federal expertise and resources on
recycling business development.
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How An the RBACs and REDAs Fostering
n i> n B n > n w
111
Who Benefits Frai the REDA and RBAC
The RBAC and REDAs are helping spawn new jobs and
local and regional economic expansion. EPA's "seed
money" is intended to create sustainable programs for
continued recycling business development in future years.
Demonstrating efficient systems for recycling economic
development, these programs are already showing
results.
The four RBACs in California, Minnesota, North Carolina,
and New York provide a unique mix of technical,
business, financial, and marketing assistance to local
enterprises using recovered materials. Each state RBAC
developed activities to serve the specific needs in its
jurisdiction, as shown on the matrix on the inside of this
brochure. For example, some RBACs help site materials
processing facilities and conduct technical pilot projects,
while others help companies obtain reliable supplies of
recovered material feedstocks.
The 10 REDAs are professionals with backgrounds in both
business development and recycling. They marshall and
focus the resources of their offices to create opportunities
all along the economic spectrum. Many REDAs are
helping businesses market recovered materials, write
business plans, and secure financing. More REDA
activities are described on the matrix on the inside of this
brochure.
The REDAs and RBACs serve all of the parties involved in
recycling. Specifically, they are helping....
Existing and Start-Up Recycling Businesses...
• Access technical information or engineering services to
modify equipment to use recovered materials.
• Locate recovered material feedstocks.
• Write a business plan or prepare a loan application,
Solid Waste Officials...
• Obtain technical, rriarketing, and financial information
for strategic integrated solid waste planning.
• Access information to decide which materials to add to
a curbside collection program.
• Measure program impact.
Economic Development Officials...
B Assess long-term markets for recycled products.
• Identify funding sources.
• Expedite environmental permitting.
Financiers...
• Assess capital and operating cost requirements.
• Project rates of return.
• Identify promising recycling investment opportunities.
How Ean I Aeeess the REDAs and RBACs?
For more information on the RBAC and REDA programs,
contact your EPA Regional Office or the individual REDAs or
RBACs listed on the chart on the inside of this brochure.
For information on ReTAP's National Network, contact the
National Recycling Coalition (NRC) at 703 683-9025.
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PA Regional Office Contacts for the Jobs Through Recycling Initiative
Region 1 (CT, MA. ME, NH, Rl, VT)
Cyntliia Greene
617223-5531
Region 2 (NJ, NY, PR, VI)
Barbara Belasco
212637-4182
Region 3 (DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV)
Theresa Martella
215597-7936
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" Region 4 (AL, FL, GA, I(V, MS, NC, SC, TN)
Kelly Ewing
404 347-3555 X6425
Region 5 (IL. IN, Ml, MN. OH, Wl)
Paul Ruesch
312888-7598
Region 6 (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
|up Lindsey
214665-6716
Region 7 (IA, KS, MO, NE)
Dave Flora
913551-7523 " "
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Region 8 (CO, MT, MD, SD, UT, WiT)
Ayn Schmit
303293-1845
Region 9 (AZ,"CA" HI, NV)
Kathy Kaplan
415744-2105
Region 10 (AK, ID, OR, WA)
John Dumas
206 553-6522
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c>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(5305W)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
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