Recycling waste management is the collection, segregation, and elimination of recyclable materials. The basic operational function of a recycling waste management company is to determine the difference between reusable materials and worthless trash. Incoming trash is often sorted first to remove hazardous materials and harmful contaminants and again to harvest items that can be recycled. Many waste recyclers are able to sell collected materials directly to companies that make use of them. Unusable garbage is generally incinerated or moved to a landfill location.
The ultimate goal of recycling is to reduce waste. Discarded items can have a second life of usefulness without wasting all the effort it took to get them to where they are. Recycling waste management firms constantly seek to find new homes for recyclables to turn a liability into a product. Old tires are recycled into safe, resilient playground surfaces, and a profit is turned from what could have been wasted. As garbage changes, recycling waste management companies need to come up with new and inventive ways to locate buyers for what some consider unwanted materials.
Some traditional waste management companies do very little or no recycling. The job of the trash man or woman is becoming increasingly complex with more garbage varieties entering the waste system each year. Many outdated electronic devices have a collection of recyclable parts as well as hazardous materials. Recycling waste management is a green business model that turns trash into cash. Waste management business owners can often be persuaded to integrate recycling programs when they make money and reduce disposal fees.
Consumers are frequently able to sell presorted recyclable materials directly to a recycling waste management location. Materials are commonly purchased by the recycling companies by the pound. Aluminum cans and glass or plastic bottles are the most common items to be directly sold to recyclers. Construction contractors sometimes sell large bails of recyclable pipes or cable leftover from a building project. People who sell recycled materials are often paid in cash right away.
Toxic waste is often compiled by recycling waste management companies for proper disposal through official state or county waste disposal resources. Public taxes or small fees often cover the government cost of disposing of the toxic waste safely. Dangerous materials sent to a landfill may contaminate the land and water supply. Recycling waste management companies may receive discounts or tax incentives for eliminating hazardous materials from the waste stream.