The waste and recycling industry directly employs approximately 450,000 people with an approximate payroll of $28 billion, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The private sector waste and recycling industry accounts for over one million jobs and generates approximately $250 billion in U.S. GDP. The industry is comprised of both publicly traded organizations and privately held companies. Both are experiencing growth and provide excellent career opportunities.
Americans generated 258 million tons of waste in 2014, nearly three times the amount from 1960, and more than 50% of it ended up in landfills and incinerators. The U.S. outpaces every other country in the area of waste generation per person at over 4.5 pounds per day.
Careers in this industry can span from entry level to executive leadership, within disciplines of Administrative, drivers/mechanical/technical, sales & marketing, engineering, logistics, property management, fleet management and many more.
