For Immediate Release
October 4, 2013
Contact:
Mark Carpenter
MarkCarpenter@isri.org Scrap recycling is the first link in the manufacturing supply chain
(Washington, DC) – 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 industry to the U.S. manufacturing landscape. Each year, more than 135 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 the sector makes 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 contributions of the scrap recycling industry to the U.S. economy include:
- More than $90 billion in sales in 2012, up from $54 billion in 2009;
- Generating nearly $28 billion in export sales to 160 countries;
- Directly and indirectly employing 463,000 workers – including an increase of 15,000 since the beginning of 2010;
- 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 second 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.
For teachers and students interested in future recycling careers, ISRI teamed up with the JASON Project to develop a K-12 science, technology, engineering and math
curriculum complete with lesson plans and teaching aids.
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The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI) The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI) is the Voice of the Recycling Industry™. ISRI represents more than 1,700 companies in 21 chapters nationwide that process, broker and industrially consume scrap commodities, including metals, paper, plastics, glass, rubber, electronics and textiles. With headquarters in Washington, DC, the Institute provides safety, education, advocacy, and compliance training, and promotes public awareness of the vital role recycling plays in the U.S. economy, global trade, the environment and sustainable development. For more information about ISRI, visit www.ISRI.org.