Ways Your Business Can Make Recycling Profitable

Sometimes the best way to make money is to find new ways to profit from the materials and supplies you’ve already purchased and used. If you make a practice of using things once and then disposing of them without a second thought, you may be cheating yourself. Looking for tips on making the most, and then some, on your business’s refuse? Here are ways your business can make recycling profitable.

Bottles and Cans

Probably the sort of recycling most people have heard about, if you and your employees are emptying and tossing soft drink cans and bottles, you could be throwing away hundreds of dollars. Begin by placing clearly marked recycling bins in break rooms, lunchrooms, and other places. Bottles and cans should be periodically inspected to see if they have a deposit on them (especially in Michigan, where some bottles carry a 10-cent deposit) or can be saved and traded in for their aluminum content. The latter may not generate as large a profit, but it’ll add up in the long run.

Scrap Metal

Are you manufacturing anything that requires metal and produces metal shavings and similar discards? There’s always a market for scrap metal. Iron and steel scrap can earn you some money, but the more profitable metals are aluminum, copper, brass, stainless steel, and bronze. If you have the means to melt down and reuse metal, of course, that’s another way to save, but finding a dealer or scrapyard who will pay for your rejects and metal byproducts is a great way to recoup money on materials.

Cut Back and Re-use Materials

For in-house use, cut back on paper by going digital and reusing old forms as scrap paper. If you regularly ship and receive packages, save money by saving and reusing packaging, shipping materials (bubble wrap, peanuts, etc.), and plastic wrap. Shred newspaper and other paper materials and use it as a buffer to protect fragile items. Ask your employees to consider new ways to recycle paper and reward the best ideas.

Exchange Electronics

Another way your business can make recycling profitable is to figure out what to do with obsolete technology. Landfills are growing under the weight of too many old cell phones, computers, printers and printer cartridges, scanners, televisions, and more. Old technology can, of course, be donated to various charitable organizations, possibly garnering you a deduction on your taxes. Some businesses and sites will provide credit or gift cards in exchange for old tech which can be recycled for parts and materials. And, of course, there’s eBay, where someone is always searching for what you’ve got and are willing to pay for it!