Cardboard & Paper Recycling

Specialized collection and processing of cardboard and paper from businesses

Startup Cost
$25,000-$75,000
Difficulty
Intermediate
Time to Profit
5-10 months
Profit Potential
$8,000-$38,000/month

Overview

Cardboard recycling services charge $20-$150 per pickup or monthly contracts of $100-$800.

Servicing 60-200 business clients generates $100,000-$450,000 annually with 45-65% margins after collection, baling, transportation, and processing.

In 2025, retailers, warehouses, and distribution centers generate massive cardboard volumes, creating opportunity for specialized collection.

Services include scheduled cardboard pickup from businesses, on-site baling or compacting, transporting bales to paper mills, providing baling equipment or compactors, buying cardboard by weight from high-volume generators, flexible pickup schedules, and container management.

Successful businesses invest in baler equipment, build relationships with retailers and distribution centers generating high volumes, understand paper mill pricing for baled cardboard, operate efficient collection routes, and may sell balers or compactors to clients.

Some businesses pay for cardboard by weight ($20-$80 per ton) from high-volume generators.

Retail stores, distribution centers, grocery stores, and e-commerce fulfillment centers are ideal clients.

Baled cardboard sells to paper mills for $50-$150 per ton.

Required Skills

  • Baler Operation
  • Logistics
  • Paper Industry Knowledge
  • B2B Sales
  • Route Planning
  • Equipment Maintenance

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • High cardboard volumes from retail and e-commerce
  • Revenue from both collection fees and material sales
  • Recurring contracts provide stable income
  • Relatively clean material to work with
  • Can scale to high-volume operation

Cons

  • Paper and cardboard prices fluctuate significantly
  • Need expensive baling equipment
  • Requires high volume for profitability
  • Competition from large waste companies
  • Storage space needed for baled material

How to Get Started

  1. Invest in baler or compact equipment
  2. Purchase collection truck or trailer
  3. Build relationships with retailers and distribution centers
  4. Understand current cardboard and paper pricing
  5. Develop collection and pricing structure
  6. Establish accounts with paper mills
  7. Market to retail, warehouses, and e-commerce fulfillment

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