Commercial Recycling Collection Service
Provide recycling pickup services for businesses, offices, and commercial clients
Overview
Commercial recycling services charge $50-$500 monthly per client depending on volume and frequency.
Servicing 80-300 business clients generates $120,000-$500,000 annually with 40-60% margins after trucks, labor, processing, and disposal.
In 2025, businesses seeking sustainability goals and waste cost reduction need convenient recycling collection services.
Services include scheduled pickup of cardboard, paper, plastics, and containers, providing recycling bins and containers, sorting contaminated materials, transporting to recycling facilities, reporting diversion rates and weights for sustainability reporting, educating staff on proper sorting, and offering flexible service frequencies (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly).
Successful businesses operate efficient collection routes, maintain clean reliable service, provide detailed reporting for corporate sustainability initiatives, understand local recycling markets, and build long-term contracts.
Many businesses add this to trash collection offering zero-waste solutions.
Office buildings, retail stores, restaurants, and industrial clients generate consistent recyclable streams.
Pricing based on container size and pickup frequency.
Required Skills
- Route Logistics
- Commercial Truck Operation
- Customer Service
- Recycling Knowledge
- Contract Management
- Waste Auditing
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Recurring monthly revenue from contracts
- Growing corporate sustainability mandates
- Can bundle with trash collection services
- Some municipalities require commercial recycling
- Environmental mission appeals to businesses
Cons
- High startup costs for trucks and containers
- Contamination in recycling streams is challenge
- Recycling commodity markets volatile
- Competition from large waste companies
- Routes require density for profitability
How to Get Started
- Get proper licensing and commercial vehicle permits
- Purchase collection truck and recycling containers
- Research local recycling facilities and markets
- Develop pricing structure based on volume and frequency
- Target office buildings, retail, and restaurants
- Offer sustainability reporting for corporate clients
- Build efficient routes and grow density in service area
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