Solid waste management is a highly mechanised process that is achieved with a modest amount of labor. In contrast, recycling, on the other hand, can be much more labor-intensive. _Recycling and Jobs Statistics_ * The US recycling industry employs 1.25 million people whereas the solid waste management industry employs only 0.25 million people. * The systematic removal of every 10,000 tons of solid waste creates only six jobs while the same amount of waste if recycled can create recycling jobs for as many as 36 people * On an EU level, if a goal of 70 percent recycling of the main recyclable materials was met, estimates suggest that up to 322,000 direct recycling jobs could be created in the 27 EU countries. Read more at: