Over the last few months, and with newly discovered spare time, many Americans have shifted their focus to the home and how to clean up, organize and downsize. With these efforts, inevitably comes the push to recycle more to better the world for generations to come. It is incredibly important for businesses to build on this momentum and do more, not less, to commit to circular economy solutions.
A survey conducted by The Recycling Partnership and SWNS has concluded that 85% of Americans strongly believe in recycling and 7 in 10 Americans said they would go out of their way to support a company that makes strong efforts to be sustainable. As an industry, recycling employs over 750,000 Americans and could add another 370,000 full-time positions if an increase in recycling initiatives are made to meet the renewed demand. It also provides essential secondary feedstock for U.S. manufacturing supply chains that accelerates the transition to a circular economy and drives billions of dollars in economic activity.
The world is swiftly changing and it is critical to find ways to design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and enable more regenerative processes. Only then can we evolve our system and hasten the move into a circular economy. This transition will build long-term resilience, generate business and economic opportunities, and provide societal and environmental benefits for the next generation and beyond.