With the world becoming more eco-friendly, it almost seems like a crime not to recycle. Well, the good news is, not only is recycling a great way to help the environment, but you can also make money while you are doing it. Read on to find out how recycling can help you bring in extra income.
Sell Your Used Cardboard Boxes
With the e-commerce industry booming, many of us get cardboard box packages delivered to our door every day. Instead of discarding these cardboard boxes, you can sell them to people in your area by listing them on Boxcycle. There you will find tons of people looking to purchase boxes that they need for moving, packaging and other purposes.
Sell Your Used Cooking Oil
If cooking oil isn’t disposed of properly, it can build up in pipes and drains leading to a plumbing disaster. You can avoid this type of crisis while making money by recycling your cooking oil.
Cooking oil has become a valuable commodity as it is a key ingredient in biofuels and home heating oil. If you own a restaurant, or are involved in any type of business that does a lot of cooking, and you are not recycling your cooking oil, you’re missing out on a great way to bring in extra income. Visit the web site RecycleNation to find out more about how you can take advantage of this money making opportunity.
Join RecycleBank
RecycleBank is a web site that rewards its members for the eco-friendly activities they participate in. By taking pledges to do things like join a community garden, you earn points that can be turned into money saving deals and rewards.
Recycling Ink Cartridges
Anyone who owns a printer knows how expensive ink cartridges can be. You can offset this expense by recycling them. Staples is just one of the many office supply stores who buy used ink cartridges in exchange for credit on future sales.
Recycling Car Batteries
When lead acid batteries are not responsibly recycled, lead, acid and mercury are deposited into landfills causing harm to the environment. To keep this from happening, many auto part stores offer incentives for recycling. Advance Auto Parts, for example, will give you a $20 gift card when you recycle an automobile or light truck battery at any one of their locations.
Sell Scrap Metal
Selling scrap metal is another way to make money while recycling. However, not all metals are created equal. Ferrous metals are less valuable than non-ferrous metals.
If you are wondering what type of metal you have, try testing out its magnetic properties. Ferrous metals have iron so they will stick to magnetic surfaces.
Copper and brass are two of the most valuable types of non-ferrous metals. If you have these available, you can go to your local scrap yard to find out how much they are willing to pay for them.
Join a TerraCycle Program
Terracycle is a program that is dedicated to the recycling of hard to recycle items like potato chip bags, single serve baby food jars and more. When you ship packages of these items to the organization, points are awarded in accordance to the weight of your package. Once you rack up enough points, you can cash them in or make a donation to the school or nonprofit of your choice.
Recycle Old Appliances
If you have a refrigerator or air conditioner that is no longer in working order, instead of getting it hauled away, you can call your utility company and have them recycle it. Not only does this save you on disposal fees, it can also help your wallet. Your utility company may give you a gift card or some other monetary reward in exchange for your efforts.
Note: The policies of utility companies vary when it comes to recycling. Check in with yours to find out how they will reward you in exchange for recycling old appliances.
Sell Craft Materials on eBay
One man’s trash in another man’s treasure! You would be surprised to find out how many people are willing to pay good money for craft items like wine corks, toilet paper rolls and other odds and ends. If you have a lot of these items accumulating in your home, you can sell them on eBay to creative people in need.
Recycling is a great way to be kind to the environment…and your wallet! Now that’s what we call a true win-win.
