National Manufacturing Day highlights importance of recycling to U.S. Economy

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) joins in the nationwide celebration of National Manufacturing Day by highlighting the many positive economic contributions of the recycling industry to the U.S. manufacturing landscape. In 2013 alone, more than 130 million metric tons of metal, paper, plastic, glass, textiles, rubber, and electronics are manufactured in specification grade commodities by the U.S. scrap recycling industry.

“On National Manufacturing Day we recognize the many valuable contributions our members make to the American economy, and its potential for new innovations and job creation in the future,” said Robin Wiener, president of ISRI. “As the first link in the manufacturing supply chain, the recycling industry has been a leader in the U.S. economy, job creation, resource sustainability, energy savings, and global trade for more than 200 years.”

The use of scrap dates back to the beginning of human existence itself. Since the dawn of civilization and the earliest attempts at manufacturing, humans have recognized the intrinsic value of scrap and the benefits associated with using and re-using existing products to create new goods. As U.S. manufacturing ramped up and became more complex in response to society’s expanding needs, scrap recycling took on even greater importance, adapting not only to market drivers, but also shifting national priorities in the context of our finite natural resources.

The contributions of the scrap recycling industry to the U.S. economy include:

• More than $80 billion in sales in 2013
• Generating nearly $24 billion in export sales to 160 countries;
• Directly and indirectly employing approximately 463,000 workers – including an increase of 15,000 since the beginning of 2010;
• Generating more than $87 billion annually in economic activity; and
• Drawing in more than $10 billion in revenue for federal, state, and local governments; and
• Lowering energy costs by producing recycled materials that require less energy during the manufacturing process than virgin materials.

National Manufacturing Day, currently in its third year, occurs on the first Friday of October. It provides an opportunity for American manufacturers to showcase the potential the sector holds and promote interest in future manufacturing careers.