Kuwait is the number one in the world at producing the most waste. This country is generating 5.72 kilograms per capita per day of MSW (municipal solid waste). The next in line is Antigua and Barbuda, then St. Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, and Sri Lanka as the fifth largest waste generator in the world. They all have plans to lower their waste production but that is not the point.
The point is that all that waste shouldn’t just be wasted. If that makes sense. Something that someone sees as waste could become dollar bills in someone else’s mind. For example, in 2017 there were reports about some crazy scientists in Bristol, the UK who claimed that they had discovered how to charge their smartphones with their pee. In Nairobi, Kenya a community-based organization in the city’s biggest slum, Kibera, is using poo to generate energy in the form of biogas.
They take some type of waste and learn how to recycle it properly. This process contributes a lot to minimize the amount of garbage as well as the impact of waste on the environment.
The concept of recycling is really simple. It is the process of reusing the waste that doesn’t have any other use in the process. It changes the physical, biological, and physicochemical state of the waste. The process gives those materials other characteristics that will allow it to become some other raw material or product.
Scrap Metal
On top of all, there is waste metal. Scrap metal is now a material of great value. Take aluminum for example. This is the most recyclable material on the market today. Nearly 75% of all aluminum produced in the U.S. is still in use today and it will get recycled again and again and again. Aluminum can be recycled directly back into itself infinitely though maintaining the same quality as the primary material.
You can recycle other metals too… Actually, you can recycle almost all metals. If you have a hard object made of metal (a can, some machine part, a toy, etc.) you don’t have to worry about what kind of metal it is. We can recycle steel, copper, cast iron, brass, bronze, aluminum, tin, etc. You name it, you can make a profit out of it.
You can’t recycle anything containing Mercury or something that is made of radioactive metal.
Paper and Cardboard
You can also recycle the waste paper to create new different raw materials. It is a very valuable recyclable material but only when it is clean. Every paper that you crunch and it doesn’t spring back you can recycle. You can also recycle cardboard products like boxes or tubes. And this is a surprisingly good way to make money. It is a multimillion-dollar business.
For the most common box sizes, you can expect to make between 50 cents and $1.50 per box. To make it simpler for you, the typical price for recycled cardboard is between ½ a cent and 3 cents per pound. However, prices vary by center. It’s always a good idea to first weigh all the cardboard you have and to tell the recycling center how much you have before you bring it because some centers will only recycle cardboard above their minimum weight.
Plastics
Have you ever heard of plastic pollution? This is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles like plastic bottles or bags in the Earth’s environment. These objects are affecting the entire planet. And because of its durability plastic objects are resistant to many natural processes of degradation and as a result, they are slow to degrade. This is why it is very important for us all to recycle as much plastic as we possibly can.
We have a strange situation with plastics. It is a global problem and the only solution for that problem is a great opportunity for individuals. Millions of plastic bottles are manufactured and sold every year. A huge number of those bottles end up in landfills. Why not make money out of this? You need to collect, sort them (PET and PETE, PP, LDPE, and HDPE bottles), and bring them in.
What Do You Need to Know About Recycling Companies?
Waste recycling is an excellent opportunity for companies that deal with waste management. In order to make money out of this, you need to know a thing or two about the entire process.
First, you need to determine the right location for your business — It should be built somewhere around a good supply of waste because you want to keep your business running for a long time.
Second, it is always a good idea to establish a partnership with local waste collectors.
Third, learn about the licenses you need and the specific legislation. Those licenses are: operating license or permit; inspection and compliance with safety standards; environmental license.
Fourth, ask around about the Solid Waste Management Plan for the municipality or region you are about to start your business in.
Making money by recycling waste is one of those subjects most debated amongst the waste treatment companies. It is a resource that has been with us since human activity began in the first place. You can recycle it or use it to create energy. Either way, you can turn these tones of trash into treasure.
