Recycling Creates Jobs

 -- Positive News -- 

Today I felt compelled to share a press release that was sent our way, which shares information on how recycling has a direct impact on the economy. You'll see at the bottom of this press release contact information for those of you who would like to learn more about this topic.

Half A Million New Jobs Could Be Created In Europe 

By Recycling More !

 



President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso has called for the creation of 3 million new green jobs by 2020 in his ‘State of the Union’ speech to the European Parliament; this study shows that a significant portion of this target could be achieved through increased recycling across Europe.

The EU’s current recycling target of 50% by 2020 will mean no overall increase in jobs, according to the research, as a reduction in waste levels is predicted by 2020.

The report also shows that recycling creates around ten times more jobs per tonne than sending rubbish to landfill or incineration.

Previous research for Friends of the Earth showed that the EU currently buries or burns at least €5.25billion of recyclable materials every year. Recycling that waste would save the equivalent of 148 million tonnes of climate changing emissions, equivalent to taking 47 million cars off the road.

Friends of the Earth Europe’s resources campaigner, Dr. Michael Warhurst said: 
“Our research shows that a 70% recycling target would create more than half a million new jobs by 2020, a significant contribution towards the 3 million green jobs that President Barroso has called for by 2020. Despite the economic, environmental and employment benefits of recycling more, the European Commission has up until now failed to set high enough recycling targets for Europe. European Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik has stated that resource efficiency is one of his priorities, now he must not waste the opportunity to make it a reality. Europe must stop throwing valuable resource  - and the potential jobs that come with them - in holes in the ground or sending them up in smoke in expensive incinerators.”

The report comes as the European Commission is reviewing its approach to waste and recycling. Friends of the Earth Europe is proposing that the EU adopts higher recycling targets, and stops landfilling and incinerating materials that can be recycled. 

For more information please contact:

Michael Warhurst - Waste and Resources Campaign, Friends of the Earth Europe, michael.warhurst@foe.co.uk
Julian Kirby - Waste and Resources Campaign, Friends of the Earth Europe, julian.kirby@foe.co.uk
Sam Fleet - Communications Officer, Friends of the Earth Europe samuel.fleet@foeeurope.org

 *For those of you interested in learning more about the R's of waste managment (rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse/repurpose, recycle, rot) and how you can save a lot of money, help your local economy and local groups or charities, check out the Trash Talk series via: www.brummet.ca/store.html

-- Conscious Living Event -- 

 Compost Operations Training Course
Nov 5 - 9
Location: St. Louis, MO (US)
Info: http://compostingcouncil.org/training 

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