15 Profitable Recycling Businesses You Can Start in 2022

According to the U.S., the United States is one of the most environmentally conscious countries on the planet. The Environmental Protection Agency has seen recycling steadily increase over the years.

In 2017, the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW), generated was 267.8 million tons. That's 4.51 pounds per day. Around 67 million tons of MSW were recycled, and 27 million were composted.

The U.S. Government offers a huge number of tax deductions based upon your state of residency if you want to start your own recycling company in 2022.

How can I make $52K per year

The federal government offers companies a tax Credit to depreciate recycling machinery or equipment.

According to the U.S., Environmental Protection Agency offers property, sales, and income tax incentives to businesses that purchase recycled equipment.

Together, more than 94 million tons of MSW was recycled and composted. This is equivalent to a 35.2% rate of recycling and composting.

Additionally, 34 million tonnes of MSW (or 12.7%) were combusted using energy recovery.

Businesses that recycle and reprocess waste are thriving, even though it is important to protect the environment.

This is the perfect time to make a strong ethical decision and start your own recycling business!

As the chart below shows, these numbers are amazing.

The U.S. recycling industry is a major employer, creating over 500,000 jobs.
The entire U.S. industry generates over $100 billion in annual revenue.
Engie, Citi, Google, and Goldman Sachs invested over $210 million in 2019 companies that are creating a circular economy (based on recycling).
Materials such as PET are used in water bottles and sell for approximately $310 per tonne.
Clear HDPE, which is used in milk jugs and other materials, can be purchased for $735 per tonne.
Because of the volatility in the oil market, companies are looking for more reliable ways to obtain oil byproducts. Recycling businesses.

A Recycling Business's principle is simple. Take a product that nobody uses, process it, and make it valuable enough to sell it for a huge profit margin.

Your raw materials can be extremely cheap. This is the beauty of recycling. Sometimes, people will pay you to remove these materials.

However, starting a recycling company is a complicated matter. There are many things to consider before you even start. The startup costs can also be high. These are the things you will need:

Specialist recycling machines are available in a range of prices, from $10,000 to $100,000.
You will need a physical space of 500 square feet or more to establish your business.
Like machine workers, employees are admin. Recycling experts are key! ).
Vehicles that collect and transport waste.

No matter what business you choose, you will feel proud that you are contributing to society in a meaningful manner.

Even if you don't like the idea of your company being well-respected in your local community, you can rest assured that more investors are investing in the recycling industry.

You have many options when it comes to the types of businesses you can get involved in. While some might be more appealing than others, all of these ideas are viable.
It operates on the same principles as a recycling company...

This means that every option on this list is extremely profitable. Here's my list of profitable options. 20 lucrative Recycling businesses you can begin in 2020

1) Plastic Recycling

A plastic recycling business is one of the most popular Recycling Businesses. It is simple to obtain plastic waste and can be your source of income.

Today, more Americans than 94% can recycle plastic bottles locally and more than 70% can recycle flexible bags and wraps at 18,000 grocery shops throughout the U.S.

Recycling plastic can also be used to make a product that you can sell. This is where you will find the most income.

When used in high-value chemical products, the commodity value of plastic waste may exceed $300 per ton According to a 2019 article, "recycling isn’t about the environment, it’s about profit”.

An Greenpeace article suggested that the U.S. does not have enough plastic recycling businesses due to China's decision to stop imports, and the insufficient local facilities not being able to handle the huge amount of plastic waste.

This is where your new business will be able to take advantage of the abundance in waste plastic. You will never be without your primary source of income in 2020. It is possible to get a grant from the government to start your business!

2) Paper Recycling

Paper Recycling is another local economy that has been thriving since the Chinese ban on U.S. Waste import.

In Wapakoneta Ohio, , the Pratt Industries mill was established in October 2019. It processed 180,000 tonnes of mixed papers in its first year.

You could get your primary resource free of charge by negotiating a business deal with local government offices. Also, recycling and reselling mixed paper is poised to boom in 2020.

Once you have collected your paper, you can simply feed it into machines to create.
paper pulp. This method requires a lot of water .

As you can see in the video, recovered paper prices were boosted by COVID-19 pandemic.

3) PVC Recycling

PVC can be processed with chemicals to make it into household fabric and construction piping. PVC is more difficult to process than other plastics due to the high content of chlorine and additives.

However, , PVC plastic, is the third most popular type in the U.S. Bottle Industry, accounting for 0.8% of the market (behind PET plastic, polypropylene).

In the United States, more than 7 billion pounds worth of PVC are thrown away each year. Only 0.1% to 3.3% of this PVC can be recycled. This gives investors in PVC recycling an incredible return on investment.

PVC is used to build pipes and tanks and other industrial supplies. However, even everyday items like bottles for household detergents or window frames or toys for children, use PVC.

You will need a different strategy and machinery to recycle PVC.
Marketing and sales

You might consider expanding your plastic bottle recycling company to include PVC recycling equipment. PVC businesses are great for growing existing recycling businesses or creating a new standalone business with high-profit margins.

4. Cardboard Recycling

It would seem that recycling paper and cardboard are very similar processes, but this is not true.

A baler or compressor is required to compress cardboard.

Recycling cardboard is as important as recycling paper. The two industries often work together. Recycling cardboard is a highly sought-after business.

Recycling cardboard saves 75% of the energy required to make new cardboard.
Reusing cardboard makes 50% less sulfur dioxide than making it from raw materials.
These cardboard boxes can be recycled up to 75% and transformed into a finished product in just 14 days.
Recycling just one ton (or more) of cardboard can save 46 gallons of oil, 4000kW of electricity, 6.6 Million Btu's, 9 cubic yards landfill space, 17 trees, and 7000 gallons of water.
A national program called the US Paper Recovery saved over 90,000,000 cubic yards landfill space in 1993 by recovering cardboard and paper that had been thrown out by consumers.

In 2020, 81% of products sold in the United States will be packaged in cardboard. Together, cardboard and paper account for 41% solid waste. Every year, the U.S. throws away 850 million tonnes worth of cardboard and paper.

You should seriously consider opening a Cardboard Recycling business. Not only would you make a profit, but you could also help save the 1,000,000 trees that are being cut each year to make enough paper and cardboard to last the entire U.S.

5) Recycle and Process Scrap Metal

The most profitable niche in the Recycling Business is scrap metal. The Environmental Protecion Agency has been closely monitoring scrap processing and a 2017 study reveals some interesting data.

The 60.33% recycling rate for all appliances in 2017 was 60.33% . The Agency estimates that the ferrous metals recycling rate was 27.8% ( 4.7 millions tons ) in 2017.

This video shows how a scrap metal recycling business grew to become a multimillion-dollar operation in a matter of 30 years.

You can also expand your business to nonferrous metals like aluminum, copper, and lead. According to the Scrap Monster, aluminum could be the materials that make you rich.

Steel is another winner. The EPA calculated that the recycling rate of steel cans was 70.9 per cent (1.1 million tonnes) in 2017. The analysis also revealed that approximately 420,000 tonnes of steel packaging was recycled in 2017.

These Top 7 Most Valuable Scrap Metals, May 2020 will give you an idea of what to do! (source: metalmenrecycling)

Copper: is found in cables, old electric appliances and plumbing work.
Brass: Any object that looks like it is gold, but which you don't know is, such as candles, plates, trophies, and bed frames.
Silver: Old jewelry, silverware and medals.
Aluminum: is not only in cans but also in computers components and bicycles.
Stainless Steel: is one of the most widely used recycled materials. It can be found in kitchen equipment and factory machines, as well as in cars.
Gold: Found in small quantities in computer parts and other hi-tech products.

6) Recycle old computers and electronic waste

"Ewaste" refers to all electronic waste items.
Microwaves, calculators, and blenders, as well as mobile phones, tablets, and other electronic devices.

Although computers technically fall under this category, it is possible to target other businesses in this wider recycling industry. Availability of a wider range Use of raw materials.

The basics of E-Waste in America:

E-waste makes up 2% of America’s trash, but 70% of America’s overall toxic waste.
High amounts of precious metals such as gold and silver are found in cell phones. Every year, Americans throw away phones that contain more than $60 million worth of gold/silver.
35,274 lbs copper, 772lbs silver, and 75 lbs gold can all be recovered for every one million recycled cell phone.
One million laptops can be recycled, which is equivalent to 35657 homes in the United States using electricity per year.
According to the EPA, E-waste continues to be America's fastest-growing municipal waste stream.
To make one computer and monitor, it takes 530 lbs fossil fuel, 48 pounds of chemicals and 1.5 tons water.

Waste recycling is clearly a profitable enterprise. It is a relatively new business that will make it easier for you to create a niche and all the precious metals used in the construction electric appliances makes it a very profitable business!

7) Recycle Batteries

Batteries are essential for everyday life. They provide power to electronic devices such as toys, power tools, and computers. However, they also work where they don't see. If you have lead-acid batteries, your phone line can still work during a power cut.

According to the EPA, 'batteries control power fluctuations, run commuter trains and provide back-up electricity for critical needs such as hospitals and military operations.

Why should you recycle batteries? What are the numbers?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans dispose of more than three billion batteries each year.
In the United States alone, it is almost 180k tonnes in weight.
These dead batteries would be able to circle the globe at least six times if they were joined together.
In the United States, there are 14000 tonnes of rechargeable batteries that are thrown away every year.
Batteries can be hazardous waste. The battery's casing can be broken down and mercury and other toxic substances released into the environment.
Batteries can be corrosive acid-based and can penetrate many materials, releasing toxic fumes into the air.

There are many types of recycled varieties, including car batteries, inverter and heavy machinery batteries, as well as computer batteries.

This business can be a great opportunity for you if you're willing to learn the technicalities of battery composition and recycling.

8) Composting

Composting refers to the conversion of organic material (food scraps, leaves and branches) away from landfills and into valuable products.

San Francisco has been able to reduce its rubbish by 80% using composting software and to compost 255,500 tonnes of organic material every year. Beginning in 2020, organic material cannot be disposed of and must be composted in Vermont.

The creation of a strong, sustainable agricultural environment can be made possible by composting.
The benefits of composting include the ability to replenish nutrients in soil and restoring fertility to fields that have been damaged.
Compost can be applied to soil to reduce its loss by 86%
The soil can be depleted by synthetic chemical fertilizers that are used to fertilize it.
The 2018 Farm Bill provided $25 million for the USDA to test and develop municipal composting programs.

Although the machines required to compost waste are more costly than other machines, the return of investment is very fast. These businesses can sustain 18 equivalent full-time jobs for every 10,000 tons compost they use annually.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation Service has grant funds for on-farm composting sites to use equipment or some infrastructure through its EQIP program (Environmental Quality Incentives Program).

9) Recycle old tires

The Tire and Rubber Waste Recycling Industry is a very successful industry. It is a major asset to America's economy and generates approximately $959 million annually.

It is expensive to run a rubber waste recycling business. This can be intimidating. Then you are ready to conquer your market niche.

Here are some facts about rubber and tire recycling

Experts predict that the industry of Tire and Rubber Waste Recycling will grow at 6.5% annually.
Today, this industry does not have a dominant market share in America.
There is a large market for rubber waste and recycled tires. This market can support a lot of investors.
In the United States alone, 300 million tires are disposed of each year.
TDF is the most popular use of old tires. It recycles approximately 130 million tires annually each year as tire-derived gasoline.
Civil engineers use 56 million tires to build roadway embankments.

10)Recycle Glass

Glass can be recycled multiple times without affecting its quality. Recycled glass can be used to replace almost 95% the material required to make new glass.

Recycling glass is a highly sought-after business. This is because recycled glass containers are required by glass manufacturers to fulfill market demand for new containers.

It's a profitable circle for any entrepreneur in this niche of recycling business.

Each year, the container industry consumes 3.35 million tonnes of recycled glass. This glass is remelted and used for new products and containers.
For every ton glass recycled, a ton of natural resources is saved.
In 21 states, there are 44 glass processing plants. In 30 states, there are 63 glass "benefitting plants" (aka "glass process" plants). There is plenty of room for competition.
Remelted glass containers are used in recycling 80 percent.
Recycling 1,000 tons of glass creates just over 8 jobs. There are great opportunities to grow the business.

This is how a Kansas City brewery created its own recycling facility and takes care of all recycling within its urban areas.

11) Recycle wood

A wood recycling company relies on disassembling wood from discarded items, such as old furniture and wood packagings like crates or pallets.

The amount of wood produced from municipal solid waste in 2017 was 18 million tonnes. This was 6.7% of the total MSW generated that year.

The EPA estimates that wood pallet recycling will reach 3 million tonnes in 2017, which is 16.7% of the total. In 2017, 2.9 million tonnes of municipal social waste was burned. This represented 8.4% of MSW that was burned using energy recovery.

You can also shred the wood into small pieces and make wood pulp. This is a great way to create new pieces from wood.
pulp.

Furniture made from recycled wood, on the other hand, is quite beautiful.
Trendy right now. People love to buy sustainable and environmentally-friendly products.
Products, and recycled wood is an attractive material for such customers.

Recycling wood is a combination of the profits from a proven business and the environmentally-friendly label that every business would like to have associated with it.

12) Recycle Textiles & Fabrics

This niche is certainly lucrative: 85% of textiles go to national landfills. Businesses have a large opportunity to get in on the action and grab a share.

The majority of clothes that are no longer in use are donated to charities. These charities sell and distribute the clothing at a low price or free of charge. However, 61% of textiles that are reusable or recyclable are exported to countries other than the United States. Why not reuse them in the U.S? Resell the material you have recycled

Here are some statistics about textile recycling and fabric production:

The average person purchases 60% more clothing each year than 20 years ago and uses them for half the amount. This creates a lot of waste.
A piece of clothing lasts approximately three years.
Nearly all textiles and fabrics can be recycled.
The U.S. textile recycling sector removes about 2.5 billion pounds of textiles annually from the waste stream and creates over 17,000 jobs.
The majority of these businesses in the United States are small or family-owned businesses that employ 35 to 50 people.
There is huge potential for the textile recycling industry in the United States to grow, considering that 85% of textiles are still disposed of at national landfills.

13) Recycle in Construction and Demolition

Despite all the economic damage Covid-19 has done, 2020 has been a great construction year so far. 2020 saw more homes, more shops and more infrastructures built than 2019. We also produce a lot more waste and debris than we do construction.

Fortunately, 70% of all construction and demolition debris (C&D), generated in the United States can be recycled. This avoids landfills that cover 440 acres and have a depth of 50 feet.

The reuse of scrap material in constructions has enabled the U.S. to cut down on its building materials and is a growing business that could yield incredible profits.

C&D debris was responsible for more than twice the amount of municipal solid waste generated in the United States in just one year.
According to the National Asphalt Pavement Association, recycling asphalt can save taxpayers more than $2.5 trillion a year.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 230 million tonnes of C&D are produced each year in the U.S.
The EPA reported in 2016 that recycling C&D material created 230,000 new jobs.
2015 saw green design projects in commercial settings generate $1.14 billion in revenues.

C&D waste accounted for more than 34% waste in 2017. The circular economy offers great opportunities for anyone willing to invest.

One of the most lucrative niches in recycling is reusing, recycling and distributing building material.

14) Plant-Based Packaging and Bioplastics

Compostable, plant-based plastics will be the best solution for creating a new circular economy.

Molson Coors was the latest of 125 companies (including L'Oreal and Mars, PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company) to pledge not to use harmful plastic packaging. They also pledged to work towards " 100% recyclable, compostable or compostable plastic packaging by 2025.

PROS OF PLANT-BASED PLASTIC

High percentage of compostable
It is sustainable and good for the environment.
Different plant-based materials can be used to make different types of food.
Bioplastics and plant biomass are renewable.

CONS OF PLANT-BASED PLASTIC

Concurrence with the traditional plastic industries
Uses resource-intensive industrial agriculture to divert arable land from food crops.
Only 1% is plant-based out of the 330,000,000 tons of plastics made.
The start-up stage of the industry is at its best

This industry is just beginning: If you get in at this stage, you could be a pioneer in a true recycling revolution and make a lot of money.

Your business will also be eligible for grants from local governments to reduce the environmental impact.

15) Recycle water

A National Academy of Sciences study found that recycled wastewater could be used to increase water supply in the United States by nearly 27%.

Actually, a lot of tap water has been recycled in some way.
The same reservoirs that we get our wastewater back from also receive our wastewater.
Drinking water

If you live near a coastline, where wastewater is often dumped in the ocean or in dry areas where droughts are common, the Recycling Water Business may be right for you.

Reusing all wastewater that we dump to the oceans could increase water availability for U.S. cities by 6 percent.
The United States reclaims 1 billion gallons of wastewater per day to supply non-potable water.
95% of the water that enters a home each day goes to the drain.
Only 1% of the total water used in the United States is recycled.
Every day, the United States produces thirty-two billion gallons worth of wastewater. However, less than 10% of this is recycled.
Recycled water is half the price of ocean water and costs approximately $1,100 per acre.

It is relatively easy to get into the water recycling business. The returns will only increase over time.

The water recycling industry was worth more than $13million in 2017. This number is projected to increase to $32 million by 2024.

This is the best time to start a business in this market.

Last Thoughts

Let's not forget that the recycling industry has always been financially profitable. It's a way to take low-cost, easily sourced materials and turn them into high-profitable, valuable products.

These core principles alone should suffice to convince you.

However, starting a business in recycling is a costly venture. You should carefully consider costs, return on investment, and upkeep costs before you jump in. In order to succeed in this industry, you will need to find workers and experts who can help you.

If you do decide to start a recycling company, it will be a leap into new territory with limited competition. There is also a high chance of getting municipal or government grants. This is because the U.S. government has been investing heavily in renewables over the past few years.

If you are serious about recycling and have the funds to start your business, these business ideas can be hugely lucrative. You could be one of the many success stories featured in the YouTube videos in this post.

You just need to choose a business plan and then get started.

My preferred business for 2022

It is evident that if you want to start your own recycling company, you will need to attract profitable leads that you can convert into clients.

After creating the website for your business, rank it so potential clients can find you on Google's first page and get in touch with the company instead of the competitor.

My preferred business model is local lead generation.

My lead generation business is worth $50K per month. All of my leads come from free traffic and SEO.

It's basically passive income. I don't need to worry about how ads perform.

The website that I created ranks on the first page in Google's so-called map pack. Leads just start coming in.

All I have to do is find a business that can use my leads and set up a monthly retainer to make a fraction of their earnings.

It's a win-win.

It's passive income. Once I've ranked the site using simple, free steps, I don’t have to worry about its performance or anything.

My site is ranked once it has been ranked. It generally maintains its rank with little to no maintenance.

You can still make money by running a recycling company, but local lead generation could be a great complement to your efforts to ensure your business is easily found by your leads.

You can get leads flooding in once your business ranks in Google's map-pack, as I did with my Tree Service website.

For years, the Tree Service guys have paid me every month without fail. The maintenance on the site is also nearly zero.

This is why I recommend that people continue to do lead generation with no traffic.

Conclusion

Although starting a recycling business from scratch is a good idea, the initial costs can be high and not everyone can afford them.

If you are able to generate leads and get free traffic, you can enter any niche you want, even local recycling businesses, and produce amazing results for your clients while also helping the environment.

This is how 90% of my multi-million dollar 6 figure income comes from. It's passive income, so traffic is never a problem.

I will continue to build lead gen websites in 2020, even during Covid-19. I also write at least one blog post per day for this site because these are high-income producing activities that directly increase my monthly traffic.

Click here to learn more information about my Lead Gen Method.