Starting and growing a glass recycling business
You are starting a business, an innovative startup, a glass recycling business. Congratulations! Now it’s time to think about growth and expansion. But how do you grow your business? And for those considering start-up or change-up to a glass recycling business, what are the potential opportunities for growth? Where does the revenue come from? How to compete with big companies? In this article, we will address these questions since we think it is highly useful information that may help our readers. If you haven’t yet read our previous article on how to start a glass recycling business, consdering giving it a quick read and then return to this article.
Market Opportunities and Revenue Sources For Glass Recycling Business
First, let’s explore the potential market and opportunities. For any entrepreneur, it’s crucial to identify growth opportunities before starting a venture, and we strongly advise thorough due diligence before investing time and money.
In the glass recycling business with the Andela Glass Pulverizer, there are two distinct revenue sources, exposing the venture to two different markets:
1. Glass to Sand – Revenue Opportunities
One way to generate revenue is by arranging glass pickup services in your local area. Did you know that most of the waste generated by hospitality businesses consists of glass? This is especially true for bars, restaurants, and hotels. Most waste and disposal companies charge by weight. Depending on your business model and approach, you can also charge by weight.
Maybe you are already managing waste glass, but it is costing your money in transportation and tipping or disposal fees. You can generate revenue for your company by avoiding these costs. Keep the money in your company pockets and fiend a local solution.
“But how can I compete with large, established disposal companies?” you might ask. The answer is by charging a smaller fee. Or by avoiding transportation and tipping fees to some other glass processors.
As a glass recycling business with your own equipment, you have the opportunity to incur lower expenses and fees, allowing you to charge your clients less than local disposal companies. To understand how this is possible, let’s break down the fees that your glass recycling business and regular disposal companies pay and charge their clients for.
Your Glass Recycling Business Model:
1. Operating Expenses: These can vary depending on the scale of operation and business model.
2. Transportation Costs: You will have transportation costs to pick up glass from your clients with a subscription service-based business model. Or you will save transportation costs if you already have the glass and find a local solution.
3. Regulatory Fees: You may need to obtain licenses or incur other expenses related to local government and recycling industry regulations.
4. Marketing: Promoting the idea of recycling and saving money will incur costs, which can vary based on your strategy.
Typically, disposal companies do not have a flat fee, so you will need to negotiate fees and prices with each client, comparing your prices with their current disposal service. Ultimately, you will be able to offer a better financial and environmental proposition.
An average bar or restaurant can generate up to 1,800 lbs. of glass waste per week, almost a ton! By establishing good connections with local businesses, you can collect tons of glass. By charging a few cents per pound, you can generate significant revenue from pickup services alone.
Who is your Competition?
Now let’s look at the costs of your competition – the landfill.
1. Transportation Costs: Trucks and related labor and operating costs for collection at the curb or transfer station.
2. Landfill Fees: After trucks pick up waste, they bring it to the landfill where they need to pay a fee for its usage. Charges depend on the weight of trash and local regulations.
3. Processing: If disposal companies process waste before disposal, they incur processing fees.
4. Environmental Fees: Some jurisdictions impose additional environmental fees.
Furthermore, by focusing solely on glass recycling with the Andela Products equipment, you can avoid extra costs related to transportation to landfills, and landfill tipping fees. if you already have some glass that needs to be recycled, process it locally and avoid these costs.
2. Glass Sand Uses, Sales, and Distribution
Once you finally collect the glass, you might wonder what to do with it. Sending it to the landfill isn’t the best idea for a recycler. On the other hand, with the Andela Products glass pulverizer, you can pulverize collected glass into fine sand, introducing a second revenue source by selling this sand to other clients. To figure out who will buy this sand – let’s explore its uses:
Construction and Building Materials: Pulverized glass sand is useful in multiple construction applications. It can be used in place of a standard C-33 mason or construction sand for many applications. Glass sand can also be used to make some concrete products or in “glassphalt.”
Landscaping and Gardening: Unlike crushed glass, pulverized sand has no sharp edges, making it safe for landscaping and gardening. In addition, it boosts plant growth due to better water retention, heat retention, plant nutrition, filtration rate, and angular-shaped inert particles. Mix it will mulch for a stormwater run-off material or use it as a warm-wet blanket mulch that is attractive and long-lasting. (it never rots)
Playgrounds and Beaches: Pulverized sand is safe for use on trails and beaches as it is identical to sand that is already being used, and it is also better for the environment.
Other Uses: Pulverized glass sand can also be used for coastal restoration in flood-prone areas. However, there are many more different uses and applications that people keep finding.
There are numerous other applications for pulverized glass, making it economically and environmentally beneficial to use recycled glass sand. There should be no worries, the product is in high demand! We wish you luck in starting your glass recycling business!
Interested in learning more about our equipment or starting a glass recycling business? We’re here to help! Contact us using the button below.
