Hazardous Waste Management

A Hidden Input to U.S. Economic Growth

This groundbreaking report examines hazardous waste management and its importance to the U.S. economy.

As the U.S. economy grows, so too do its needs for hazardous waste management. Between 2003-2021, hazardous waste treatment and disposal industry revenues grew from $3.6 billion to nearly $9 billion annually.

• 2.7 million jobs: U.S. jobs supported by the hazardous waste industry
• 5 million tons per year: Additional U.S. hazardous waste forecasted to be generated 
• $27 to $82 billion: U.S. GDP threatened by the shortfall of hazardous waste treatment capacity

The World Bank has described inadequate waste management as “one of the most underestimated threats to our shared future.”

This role of hazardous waste management is likely to become increasingly important in the coming decade. U.S. industrial policy has aimed to reshore manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, semiconductors for computer chips, batteries for vehicles, and other forms of advanced manufacturing.

Ensuring that the nation’s hazardous waste management infrastructure can accommodate growth in these sectors is critical to sustaining future industrial expansion and economic growth.