The Economics of Recycling
Recycling is a business. Whether a material gets recovered depends on what it is worth once sorted, processed and sold.
Recycled material is a commodity. When oil and metal prices are high, recycled plastic and metal are competitive; when they fall, virgin material can be cheaper, and recycling margins shrink.
What Drives the Market
- Purity β clean, sorted material sells; mixed contamination does not.
- Logistics β transport and labour cost per tonne.
- Demand β makers who buy recycled content keep the loop alive.
- Policy β mandates and producer responsibility steady demand.
Why Your Bin Matters
Clean sorting lowers processing cost and raises the price buyers pay. Good household sorting is what makes recycling economical β not just technically possible.
Related Reading
See metal recycling, wishcycling & contamination, and extended producer responsibility.
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