Recycling group: Bottle deposit states create more jobs

The study, "Returning to Work: Understanding the Domestic Jobs Impacts from Different Methods of Recycling Beverage Containers," was commissioned by the Container Recycling Institute and conducted by two independent researchers.

The study also found that bottle deposit return systems generate an average of 76% recovery in states with bottle deposits compared to just 24% recovery in states that do not.

Another driver of container-recycling jobs, the study said, is the number of full-time workers needed to collect, sort and transport the materials. Bottle deposit return systems, in which containers are handled more or less individually, employ an average of 7.34 full-time employees per 1,000 tons of containers. On the other hand, the study found, curbside systems require an average of 1.66 full-time employees in an automated system and 4.46 in a manual system.