When we talk about secondary raw materials, we usually talk about such material resources, which can be reused. This can be consumer or production waste that occurs in the national economy. It is important to understand that not all waste can become secondary raw materials and not all recyclables are used products.

The classification of secondary raw materials is clear and simple. Conventionally, it can be divided into several separate groups:

1. Secondary raw materials, which can be used as a complete or partial replacement for primary raw materials.

2. Waste acting as a starting product for the production of primary raw materials.

3. Waste in the form of used raw materials, which during the processing process can be used in a fundamentally new technological cycle.

4. Waste that serves as a source for ore raw materials and the extraction of various metals.

Waste paper as secondary raw material

Recycled materials such as old newspapers, notebooks, magazines, books, cardboard boxes, packaging and much more are commonly called waste paper. Waste paper used as recyclable material is usually used to make insulation, roofing, packaging materials, and paper. It is worth paying attention to the fact that in paper production waste paper takes up 40% of the raw materials, since cellulose and wood are more expensive materials in this type of business.

Types of waste paper (what kind it is)

In the territory Russian Federation enterprises that collect and process secondary raw materials accept unsorted waste paper. Only later will it be sorted taking into account the type and brand of waste paper. The highest quality waste paper is considered to be grade “A” waste paper. Waste paper of lower quality will be considered waste of classes “B” and “C”.

Waste paper recycling technology

Recycling waste paper has certain difficulties and, as a rule, is carried out using wet technology. Processing is carried out in several stages.

1. Dissolution of waste paper

Dissolution of waste paper into individual fibers produced in a humid environment in special equipment called pulpers. Certain hydromechanical forces make it possible to completely shred waste paper into individual pieces and then into fibers.

2. The waste paper mass is completely cleared of foreign impurities

The waste paper mass, which after dissolution turns into a suspension, is passed through a sieve in a pulper. After this, all coarse inclusions in the waste paper mass and heavy impurities are removed from it. At the same time, light impurities can be pulled out in the form of a rope.

3. Removal of waste paper and its fine cleaning

Purified waste paper pulp may contain plant fibers, and not just pieces of waste paper. That is why it is sent for subsequent final release, where even more fine cleaning will be carried out.

What is produced from waste paper?

There is a world great amount products made from collected waste paper. We will try to list their most popular types.

1. Ecowool. Today, ecowool is not often used in production and construction, since the current production of this product is too small. Nevertheless, in the future this particular material will be in demand in the construction market, in the world of thermal insulation materials.

2. Paper fiber boards. Such slabs are often used during construction and repair work on interior decoration rooms. They are slabs of carefully dried, compressed waste paper.

3. Roofing materials made from waste paper are environmentally friendly and inexpensive materials. This direction in the construction market is only gaining momentum, but has serious prospects for its development in the future.

4. Packaging materials are the most popular products obtained in the process of recycling waste paper. It is packaging examples that are considered the most a clear example saving quite valuable and important from the point of view of protection environment raw materials.

With proper collection of waste paper and its adequate use on packaging materials, a considerable amount of wood is saved. Annually due to production packaging materials(cardboard boxes, paper and corrugated cardboard packaging, paper wrappers, etc.) you can save up to one and a half thousand hectares of forest. By the way, micro-corrugated cardboard packaging, which has virtually no disadvantages, is made from waste paper by simply machining recycled materials in warm water.

Corrugated cardboard packaging has certain advantages due to its low weight and good strength. When using cardboard with corrugated paper, the resistance of such packaging to tearing increases several times both across and along the sheet.

5. Office paper. In the printing industry, this area of ​​waste paper processing plays a particularly important role. important role because it allows for significant savings.

Ecology and waste paper

The huge amount of paper that is thrown away every day from offices, shops, and homes can be used for environmental benefit. As a result of the development of recycling of secondary raw materials and its proper use, we can save a huge number of trees. For statistics: by recycling just 1 ton of waste paper, we protect about 10 trees, and also save more than 20 thousand liters of water, thousands of kilowatts of electricity, and protect the environment from the emission of 1700 kg of carbon dioxide!

The collection and subsequent processing of waste paper makes it possible to open up more and more new opportunities for using unnecessary paper and paper raw materials, saving a lot of resources and money.

Surprisingly, there is a business that is considered not just a way to make money, but also a noble occupation. Don't believe me? But in vain! This is the processing of various recyclable materials! The essence of this type of business is the collection, processing and sale of secondary raw materials. You can engage in comprehensive processing of various wastes, but you can also choose one of the popular directions:

  • garbage;
  • paper;
  • plastic container.

Is it profitable? Don't hesitate - yes! Let's take a closer look at this interesting and undoubtedly profitable topic.

The business of recycling waste and other raw materials has a number of advantages and disadvantages that you should know.

So, the advantages of the processing industry:

  • high profitability. Since the main goal of any enterprise is profit, it is worth starting with this huge advantage. The business is profitable, the calculations will be lower;
  • love, respect and veneration from the authorities and local residents. The environment is becoming cleaner, and there are fewer landfills.

But there are still a number of nuances that largely determine such a small number of enterprises for processing recyclable materials:

  • opening difficulties. It takes about six months to complete all the documentation; it is necessary to obtain permits from several dozen structures and departments;
  • manual labor. It is difficult to form a friendly and cohesive team; it is important to think through a competent system of employee motivation;
  • establishing a stable supply of raw materials for processing and selling the finished product.

Despite all the apparent difficulties, this business is worthy of attention, since it benefits not only the entrepreneur himself, but also the people around him, the city, the country, and the world as a whole.

Before you start

The main and main difficulty in starting a processing business is obtaining permits:

  • In order to sort and recycle waste, you must obtain a license from the Ministry of Environment. After this, all documentation for the equipment is selected, and the entrepreneur goes to obtain permits from the water, sanitary, fire, veterinary and public utilities. This is due to the fact that waste recycling affects multiple interests and it is important that others do not suffer from the waste treatment plant;
  • recycling business plastic bottles It’s easier to open – just register as entity and you can get down to business. It is also easy to open a paper and cardboard recycling plant.

It is important to invest wisely in the purchase of equipment. Each direction has a number of subtleties that should not only be taken into account, but taken under control.

Garbage recycling

The premises should be chosen not far from the landfill, so that you do not have to spend money on transport for long-distance transportation of raw materials. An abandoned warehouse, hangar, etc. is ideal for these purposes. Perhaps regional or municipal authorities will be happy to provide unnecessary territories and premises for an indefinite lease or even free of charge. It is more profitable for the municipality to help a businessman than to maintain and maintain numerous constantly growing landfills.

Equipment for waste processing is one of the most important components of the successful development of this business. Experienced businessmen who were able to raise their business argue that purchasing foreign equipment is inappropriate. It is more profitable and reliable to purchase Russian units, which cost less, are easier to repair, and are cheaper to maintain. As a rule, the purchase of universal equipment will require about 300 million dollars, while a processing line a separate type waste can be supplied for $50,000. The standard package includes: feeding belt, chopper and crusher, hopper, magnet, pressing unit.

The location has been found, the equipment has been purchased, now it’s important to recruit a strong team. This is the main difficulty of this business - few people can withstand the hard and exhausting work at the transport belt, especially when there are unpleasant odors. Motivation and a flexible bonus system can make working at an enterprise profitable and prestigious. Approach this issue very carefully, otherwise high staff turnover cannot be avoided.

Note: You can download a ready-made business plan for a waste processing plant from our partners with a quality guarantee!

The next stage is finding sources of raw materials. These are, of course, mostly landfills. You may be able to negotiate with the administration so that the vehicles that collect garbage bring it to you directly, bypassing the landfill. This will allow you to avoid spending money on transport to remove raw materials from the storage area.

Implementation – this issue is also important. Fortunately, the need for quality recyclables is steadily growing. Whatever direction you choose for recycling - glass, cars, equipment, food waste– you will always find buyers, since secondary raw materials are much cheaper than the original ones, and they are not inferior in quality.

What can you offer your customers for raw materials? For example:

  • recycling used cars will make it possible to sell not only metal or used oils, but also working spare parts to workshops;
  • technique - it often contains copper, aluminum, gold and silver. Large industrialists will be happy to buy non-ferrous metals at affordable prices;
  • Even food waste can benefit from recycling. From them, with the help of enzymes and bacteria, compost is created, which is purchased by gardening farms and large enterprises producing soil mixtures.

Let’s look in a little more detail at popular areas – plastic, glass and paper.

Recycling plastic bottles

The plastic recycling business has established itself as a highly liquid activity, as well as extremely necessary for the global community, since plastic containers are literally strangling the planet. Plastic bottles and cups are easy to make, but they take a long time to decompose. Therefore, a workshop for processing plastic containers will be supported by municipalities, and even investments are possible, since plastic recycling is one of the main areas in which environmental and environmental organizations work.

Channels for purchasing raw materials can be not only landfills, but also collection points for plastic containers. You can also enter into agreements with stores and retail chains by accepting used bottles, glasses, and film from them. Also, it would not be superfluous to install special bins for bottles in the city; it is enough to obtain permission from the city administration.

Sales are also simple - mainly flex flakes, a product of processing plastic bottles, are bought by the manufacturers of these bottles. It is much cheaper than the original product, so enterprises willingly take such raw materials. It is precisely due to the ease of collection and marketing that recycling of plastic bottles as a business is a good choice with excellent prospects, especially considering the simplicity of its organization, low initial costs and the availability special programs support from both the state and international funds.

Glass recycling

This type of recycling business was and still remains one of the most popular in the post-Soviet space, as evidenced by the fact that even in the nineties, during the period of the severe economic crisis, bottles were accepted almost everywhere. Of course, at that time there was no talk of full-fledged glass recycling at the collection point, and even after that - many factories simply sterilized the bottles received, sorted them and sent them back to production, since glass, unlike other types of waste, can be easily clean from any contaminants, and no foreign impurities enter its structure.

Now, of course, almost no one resorts to such methods - glass goes through several stages of cleaning and sorting before being melted down. Equipment for glass processing is quite expensive, however, even a full-fledged conveyor line can be maintained by minimal personnel due to high labor automation.

First of all, as with any other waste recycling business, glass containers and glass products are sorted and cleared of external debris. The cleaning process can be either manual or automated. Then the finished glass container is separated according to color and quality characteristics and goes into a crusher, where it is crushed almost to the state of sand. After this, the glass goes through another stage of automatic cleaning and only after that it is remelted, or sent to glass factories in the form of sorted glass sand.

The methods of searching for raw materials in this business do not differ from those described in previous section. You can use the services of companies involved in waste sorting, you can place your own glass container collection points, or you can negotiate with the owners of HoReCa establishments. However, it should be noted that the maximum income in the case of glass processing can be obtained only if there is a workshop for remelting and manufacturing glass products and blanks directly, since equipment for glass processing is now available in almost every glass factory. That is why a profitable solution can be to simply open glass products collection points and organize direct sorting and removal glass debris- this method of doing business will require significantly less investment from you.

Recycling paper and cardboard

From the time of Soviet Union The memory is still fresh when everyone always collected waste paper. Now this type of activity is in decline, but is gradually gaining momentum again.

The paper recycling business is a great opportunity save the life of many trees, while making a good profit. There are two lines of this production based on the type of product produced - writing paper or cardboard. Cardboard recycling as a business is a more profitable and faster self-sustaining process. More detailed calculations are given below.

The main difficulty is in collecting raw materials. It can also be purchased from landfills, collection points or opening your own, as well as from large production and trading enterprises. Selling raw materials is not difficult - there will always be people who want to buy inexpensive paper or cardboard.

Calculations on paper - what you can get from this business

Now some dry numbers. Let's calculate how much one or another type of processing will bring.

Profitability of a small enterprise for processing plastic bottles:

Opening costs:

  • equipment – ​​RUB 3,500,000.
  • redecoration of the premises, minor and unplanned expenses - 15,000 rubles.

Monthly costs:

  • rent, utility costs - 300,000 rubles.
  • wage fund – 210,000 rubles.
  • purchase of raw materials for processing – 80,000 rubles.

Total: 590,000 rub.

The planned monthly income from the sale of raw materials is 800,000 rubles. Thus, the monthly profit will be at least 200,000 rubles, and investments in the business will pay off in just 1.5 years. Calculations were based on minimum productivity indicators, so income in practice will be much higher.

In general, types of expenses and income by different types raw materials are identical, amounts and profits change. Do not forget that the profit margin is the result of the influence of many factors, in particular purchasing policies, bonuses for employees, use of resources, and correct implementation tactics. Develop a competent business plan and then success will definitely await you!

From an economic point of view, the part of human waste that can be recycled is considered the most valuable and is of interest to business and enterprises. Also, reusing waste allows you to reduce space landfills and save natural resources. What is waste recycling and is it possible to make money from it?

Recyclables are several types of household and industrial waste, potentially suitable for reuse for human benefit. But for such use to become possible, secondary raw materials must be processed using special equipment.

Recyclable waste is traditionally divided into several categories:

  1. Biological (organic) – this includes wood, paper, textile and food waste.
  2. Technological inorganic – glass and glass scrap, scrap metal, .
  3. Technological organic – petroleum products, chemicals, plastics, rubber products, wastewater.
  4. Complex technological products - electronics, instruments, furniture, transport, etc.

There is also a type of waste that can only be reused to generate heat or electricity. This category is usually called secondary energy resources, and it includes industrial gases, oil refining products, wood processing, steam, hot water, heat exchanger condensate, landfill gas, etc.

Reception points

For many types of “useful” waste, there are collection points where both ordinary citizens and some businesses can donate recyclables. Recycling collection points operate in many cities in Russia; information about them can be found on the Internet and from various environmental organizations.

A collection point is a special warehouse equipped for the collection and storage of certain types of waste. You can usually get paid for your trash, although some organizations accept waste free of charge.

Most collection points are focused on collecting recyclable materials from the population, and therefore are not designed for large volumes of waste. Large enterprises, as a rule, they enter into a supply agreement, bringing at a time a large number of waste - usually not to the collection point, but directly to the place of its processing. And in more or less major cities V last years Companies that accept recyclable materials themselves come to stores and pavilions, collecting boxes and other household waste.

Recycling: equipment and methods

The choice of method and equipment for processing each type of waste largely depends on what will be made from recyclable materials in the future, on the quality and degree of purification of the collected waste, and even on its volume.

Waste paper is first sorted by type, color and paper composition. Some companies limit themselves to pressing used paper using special presses, and then the processed waste paper is delivered to construction and pulp and paper mills. Another option is possible - obtaining pulp, for which the paper is soaked in tanks, bleached, cleaned and whipped into foam.

This foam (pulp) is a valuable raw material for the manufacture new paper, therefore its cost on the market is much higher than compressed waste paper. Full cycle processing allows you to get from paper waste napkins, cardboard, toilet and plain paper, cellulose and ecowool. In this case, special production lines are used.

– from waste paper to finished product

Biological food waste is used in the production of feed for farm animals. The simplest technology processing involves boiling waste in vacuum boilers, after which the resulting mass is dried and crushed, and the output is meat and bone, fish or other meal.

To obtain extruded feed, installations are used in which food waste is subjected to dry friction under the influence of high blood pressure and temperature. The resulting extrudate is highly digestible and is considered extremely beneficial for animal health.

It begins with sorting to prevent foreign objects from getting into the finished raw materials. Then the glass is crushed, passes through a magnet, which separates metal parts (lids, etc.) from it and is sent for remelting.

Almost any new glass or bottle consists of 30-40% waste that has already been used. The glass mass, melted at 1500 degrees or more, is poured into molds by a bottle machine, then the glass products are cooled, tempered, packaged and sent to factories for filling.

It also involves grinding raw materials in cryogenic installations (using low temperatures), using rotary crushers and shredders. Then rubber crumb sorted and depending on size, used for the manufacture of rubber parts for cars, coverings for sports fields, paving slabs, some types of concrete, shoe soles, etc.

From the above examples it follows that in order to process almost any recyclable material, equipment is needed for its sorting, cleaning and grinding. And then everything depends on the type of prepared waste - some of them need to be melted, some need to be digested, and others are added to the “pure” raw materials for production in an almost unchanged form.

Recycling of recyclable materials in Russia

Experts believe that environmental culture is just being formed in the Russian Federation, but in recent years there has been an increase in interest in various methods of processing and disposal of waste.

The peculiarities of the mentality of Russians leave their mark on the development of the recycling market. For example, unlike Europeans, Russian residents have little interest in the need for waste, and prefer to receive money for handing over recyclable materials - while in Europe, waste is sorted and handed over almost always for free.

In Russia, approximately 4-8% of the total amount goes for recycling household waste. In total, there are only 243 waste recycling plants operating in the country. For comparison, in the United States the share of waste that is recycled is 34%. And in small Sweden, only 4% of waste ends up in landfills, and the rest is recycled and reused.

At the same time, enterprises do not yet have tax benefits that they could receive for introducing waste-free production and waste recycling technologies. The legislative framework in the field of “ecological” industry, in many respects it is still just being formed, so the collection and disposal of waste is mostly the work of enthusiasts, but not large companies and entrepreneurs.

On the other hand, you can find a lot of tips on the Internet on how to make money from recyclable materials. Usually this means purchasing recyclable materials from the population, without processing the collected waste, but with the development of the enterprise, the question usually arises of expanding the scope of activity. Also on the market there are many fairly inexpensive installations and lines for working with secondary materials and their recycling. So the eco-business of waste recycling will develop at a significant pace in the coming years, especially with support from the state.

How to make money from recyclable materials

Recycling waste usually requires considerable costs for the purchase of equipment and specific knowledge, so most often “ garbage business» is limited to the purchase of recyclable materials from the population and its resale to processing plants. Most often this is glass and broken glass, waste paper, scrap metal, and the most profitable is considered to be metal, because the cost of such recyclable materials is much higher.

To organize a collection point according to the law, it is necessary to register a company or individual entrepreneur (unless the owner plans to further expand the business and reach large volumes).

You will also need a room for storing collected waste - if we're talking about about metal or glass, then an ordinary garage, which can be rented or bought, is suitable as a warehouse. The room for storing waste paper must be dry and relatively clean; permission from the fire department may also be necessary, since paper is a very flammable material.

A warehouse for collecting recyclable materials must be equipped with scales in order to determine the cost of accepted waste by weight. Another necessary condition– availability of a truck for transporting waste.

And the most important thing, without which it is impossible to open a collection point for recyclable materials, is a sales market. The entrepreneur will have to enter into an agreement with a waste processing company or plant.

It is worth remembering that such a business does not bring instant profit and is not highly profitable, but over time, the acceptance and purchase of recyclable materials from the population often “grows” into a small processing industry. Having opened a waste collection point, its owner sooner or later studies market needs and sales opportunities, and then decides to expand his enterprise.

It should be taken into account that working with some types of waste requires obtaining a license, training of employees and quite expensive equipment.

Examples of how you can start or develop a “garbage business” are easily found on the Internet, because in recent years this direction has become quite popular among entrepreneurs.

Conclusion

Recycling waste is a “dirty” activity, but certainly useful for both the economy and the environment. The West has long understood that waste-free production, which uses previously used materials, is much cheaper and makes the final product more accessible to the consumer.

Therefore, recycling waste into soon will remain one of the most pressing tasks in all civilized countries. Our country still lags behind world indicators in terms of reuse waste, but it can be predicted that this lag will not last long.


Secondary raw materials are products and materials, after their primary use, they can be used in production as raw materials. Recycled raw materials can be divided according to several criteria:

  • application (unused or used);
  • technologies (allowing or not allowing processing);
  • state of aggregation(gaseous, liquid, solid);
  • chemical composition(inorganic or organic);
  • toxicity (non-poisonous or poisonous);
  • place of use;
  • by place of generation (production and consumption waste);
  • size of volumes, etc.

Types of waste processed

According to the “Sanitary Rules for Collection, Storage, Transportation and primary processing secondary raw materials", as well as based on established practice, secondary raw materials are divided into the following types:

  • liquid waste;
  • waste containing mercury;
  • batteries;
  • rubber;
  • instruments and other equipment containing precious metals;
  • substandard and expired products;
  • medical waste;
  • textiles and footwear;
  • waste paper;
  • glass;
  • animal bones;
  • concrete and concrete production waste;
  • hard polymer materials;
  • radioactive waste.

Polymer materials

Recycled polymer materials are used in the manufacture wide range products: from car parts to bottles. Production from recycled plastics allows you to meet market needs, reduce environmental pollution, and reduce production costs.

Concrete production waste

When working with concrete mixtures, fresh concrete remains in concrete trucks, mixers, pumps, machines, containers and forms. All this equipment is cleaned with water. Waste water includes:

  • liquid chemical additives;
  • cement laitance and water;
  • inert fillers.

Radioactive waste

Radioactive waste is waste that includes isotopes chemical elements, not applicable in the existing condition. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has formulated the basic principles for radioactive waste management:

  • Installation safety;
  • Ecosystem protection;
  • Health protection;
  • Protection regardless of national borders;
  • Interdependence of Education radioactive waste and handling them;
  • Legal support at the national level;
  • Comprehensive production control;
  • Protection of future generations;
  • Responsibility of future generations.

Shoes and textiles

Perhaps the oldest type of waste that has been recycled is textiles. Since time immemorial, ragpickers' carts have traveled all over the world. The rags were sorted to separate what could still serve the poor, and the actual waste that went into recycling. The fabrics were used to make paper back in China. The recipe was brought to Europe by Marco Polo during his first visit to the Middle Kingdom. Fabrics of different composition are subject to different processing. So, denim and other cotton waste is used in paper production. The fabric is crushed and soaked, and further production differs little from the use of cellulose, but does not cause damage to the Earth's biosphere.

Shoes are sorted according to a similar principle, taking into account the type of material with which they are sent for recycling.

Batteries and accumulators

Batteries and accumulators are recycled regardless of whether they can be recharged or the remaining charge of the battery. There are several specialized battery recycling plants in Europe according to the following classification:

  • alkaline;
  • nickel-cadmium;
  • nickel metal hydride;
  • lithium-ion.

The effectiveness of the processing process is determined by the ratio of the incoming and resulting material. It is taken into account that the final result is influenced by the composition of the material and its combination with other substances and materials.

It would be logical for recycling plants seeking to buy recyclables at the most profitable price to turn to a waste removal company. That is why our company was initially interested in offering not only waste removal and disposal services, but also the supply of materials suitable for the production of recyclable materials. Large volumes and regularity of work guarantee prices for recyclable materials lower than what regular collection points can offer. Sale of secondary raw materials is one of the services of the Sanitarim company.

It is more profitable to buy recyclable materials from us

The ability to sort waste at the assembly stage implies separating material for recycling from other waste, that is, a minimally contaminated product arrives at the warehouse. Transportation and storage conditions have a particularly sad effect on cardboard and paper - they become soggy and mixed with waste, making it impossible to use recyclables in this condition.

In order for the sale of recycled materials to truly bring you income, our company complies with the following conditions:

  • regular supplies of large volumes of material suitable for reuse;
  • reducing sorting costs and increasing its efficiency due to separate collection garbage;
  • compliance with storage conditions;
  • effective interaction with partners and regular removal of accumulated raw materials.

The cost of recyclable materials is not too high. But many production processes based on the use of recycled materials, bring stable profits, for example:

  • production of toilet paper;
  • production of plastic and cardboard containers, etc.

Take advantage of the opportunities to open your own profitable business, with minimum costs for raw materials.

Recycling and selling recyclable materials is more profitable than recycling

Properly organized processing and sale of secondary raw materials will allow you to actively help preserve natural resources and save in the production of goods. The numbers speak for themselves: 100 kg of waste paper allows you to save one tree, and paper and cardboard can go through 5-6 rounds of recycling until the fibers are completely worn out. The same amount of money (and in some cases less) is spent on recycling plastic and polyethylene as it would be spent on their destruction - synthetic materials are difficult to burn and do not decompose in nature.

Waste disposal begins from the collection stage. Many types of recyclable materials are immediately placed in appropriate containers for further processing. Next comes the separation stage: a variety of methods are used to extract from the total mass materials that may still be useful. Ferrous metals are searched for using a magnetic device; ordinary garbage is sifted and divided into large and fine particles, employees visually inspect the remaining waste.

After sorting, final cleaning and disinfection occurs, batches are formed and sent to the appropriate processing plants.