One sector of waste management that has experienced growth in recent years is recycling. More companies are becoming interested in gaining incentives by adopting environmentally sound practices such as having an effective waste management scheme. Not all companies have the resources, nor have the intent of investing in their own recycling facility, hence, there is an opportunity to fill in the gap and provide the services that are lacking.
Recycling Business
Recycling is a broad concept when applied to a business model. Start-up recycling businesses can either collect or process waste by using their own Recycling Machinery, or manufacture products from recycled materials.
Waste collection and processing is a more viable option, especially for start-ups because it entails lower up-front capital. On the other hand, selling recycled goods has yet to become mainstream as the supply for recyclables remains high but the demand for recycled products is still low.
Luckily, many governments are starting to incentivize eco-friendly practices. This means that more and more companies are willing to employ the necessary steps to dispose of their waste in a more environment-friendly process. This will benefit companies that are offering services related to waste collection and recycling.
Ethical Reasons for Recycling
One of the best reasons to venture into a recycling business is the innate desire to help the environment. If you are ethically driven to help reduce waste and reuse resources, you are off to a good start. Nonetheless, you have to be prepared to face competition from large companies and corporations who are doing the same thing for profit. Companies with bigger resources and reach will easily dominate the market. While this may be the case, you will still have the advantage of targeting companies and clients who have the same ethical goals as you.
Compliance with Rules and Regulations
One of the most important considerations before starting a business in waste collection and recycling is awareness and compliance with government rules and regulations. Since you will be handling different waste materials such as glass, paper, fabric, and hazardous waste you need to be in compliance with regulations even if it may be costly.
Before you proceed with setting up the business, you need to consult with a professional who has expertise in the legislation governing the handling and recycling of waste. To start, you can go to your local government’s environmental department.
Start-up Cost
The initial cost of starting a business in recycling and waste management varies according to the type of services offered. If you want to have a full-scale waste collection and recycling business, you will need to invest in logistics as well as a dedicated facility for processing and recycling waste. This is considerably larger in expense in comparison with just collecting the waste and taking it to a recycling facility. If you want to start with waste collection and eventually grow your business, you will only need to buy vans or trucks and slowly move forward towards recycling as soon as you have the financial resources to do so.