GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — A recent study finds that Nebraskans spent more than $30 million to get rid of about 885,000 tons of recyclable waste in landfills.

The waste could have been worth $86.5 million had the materials been recycled instead.

The statewide study is by the Joslyn Institute for Sustainable Communications, the Nebraska State Recycling Association and the University of Nebraska.

The report, funded by a state grant, says that recycling the waste could have created new jobs.

The study says that it takes 10 people to recycle every 10,000 tons of waste compared to one person to dispose of it.