{
  "slug": "recycling-revenue",
  "title": "Recycling Revenue Calculator",
  "heading": "Recycling Material Revenue Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/recycling-revenue",
  "summary": "Estimated revenue from selling recyclable materials by commodity.",
  "description": "Recyclables aren't just avoided disposal cost — clean, well-sorted material has resale value that swings with commodity markets. This calculator estimates gross revenue from your recyclable stream by material type (cardboard, mixed paper, aluminum, PET, HDPE) using current per-ton commodity prices, then nets out any hauling/processing fee your recycler charges. Cardboard and aluminum are consistently the highest-value streams; mixed plastics and glass often net near zero or even cost money to move, which is why a lot of facilities recycle those for compliance and diversion-rate reasons rather than revenue. This is the number facilities and waste management teams use to negotiate hauler contracts and to decide whether investing in a baler (to boost cardboard purity and price-per-ton) pencils out against the equipment cost.",
  "formula": "Revenue = Σ(tons of material × price per ton) − processing fee per ton × total tons.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=recycling-revenue",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "cardboardTons",
      "label": "Cardboard (OCC)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 40,
      "unit": "tons/yr",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "cardboardPrice",
      "label": "Cardboard price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 95,
      "unit": "$/ton",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "aluminumTons",
      "label": "Aluminum cans",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3,
      "unit": "tons/yr",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "aluminumPrice",
      "label": "Aluminum price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1400,
      "unit": "$/ton",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "mixedTons",
      "label": "Mixed paper/plastic",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 25,
      "unit": "tons/yr",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "mixedPrice",
      "label": "Mixed material price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 10,
      "unit": "$/ton",
      "min": -50,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "processingFee",
      "label": "Hauler processing fee",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 8,
      "unit": "$/ton",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "net",
      "label": "Net recycling revenue",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "grossRevenue",
      "label": "Gross commodity revenue",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "fees",
      "label": "Processing fees paid",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "totalTons",
      "label": "Total recyclable tons",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "perTon",
      "label": "Net revenue per ton",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Cardboard (OCC): 40 tons/yr",
      "Cardboard price: 95 $/ton",
      "Aluminum cans: 3 tons/yr",
      "Aluminum price: 1400 $/ton",
      "Mixed paper/plastic: 25 tons/yr",
      "Mixed material price: 10 $/ton",
      "Hauler processing fee: 8 $/ton"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Net recycling revenue: $7,706",
      "Gross commodity revenue: $8,250",
      "Processing fees paid: $544",
      "Total recyclable tons: 68",
      "Net revenue per ton: $113.32"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter cardboard (occ) (tons/yr).",
      "Enter cardboard price ($/ton).",
      "Enter aluminum cans (tons/yr).",
      "Enter aluminum price ($/ton).",
      "Enter mixed paper/plastic (tons/yr).",
      "Enter mixed material price ($/ton).",
      "Enter hauler processing fee ($/ton).",
      "Read your net recycling revenue on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "cardboardTons": 24,
        "cardboardPrice": 55,
        "aluminumTons": 1.7999999999999998,
        "aluminumPrice": 850,
        "mixedTons": 15,
        "mixedPrice": 5,
        "processingFee": 5
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "cardboardTons": 40,
        "cardboardPrice": 95,
        "aluminumTons": 3,
        "aluminumPrice": 1400,
        "mixedTons": 25,
        "mixedPrice": 10,
        "processingFee": 8
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "cardboardTons": 64,
        "cardboardPrice": 150,
        "aluminumTons": 4.800000000000001,
        "aluminumPrice": 2250,
        "mixedTons": 40,
        "mixedPrice": 15,
        "processingFee": 13
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why is my mixed-plastic revenue near zero or negative?",
      "a": "Since China's National Sword policy cut off cheap export markets in 2018, domestic demand for mixed low-grade plastics collapsed. Many haulers now charge a processing fee that equals or exceeds the material's resale value, so it's common for mixed streams to run break-even or slightly negative — you're really paying for compliance and diversion credit, not revenue."
    },
    {
      "q": "How volatile are these commodity prices?",
      "a": "Very. OCC (cardboard) has swung between $40 and $180/ton over a five-year window depending on export demand and mill capacity. Aluminum tracks the LME price and is comparatively stable and always the highest-value stream by a wide margin, which is why source-separating cans specifically is almost always worth the extra bin."
    },
    {
      "q": "Should I invest in a baler?",
      "a": "A baler increases cardboard purity and density, which usually earns a better per-ton price and reduces pickup frequency (and fees). It pencils out fastest for facilities generating 30+ tons of cardboard a year; below that, the equipment and labor cost rarely beats the marginal price improvement."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/waste-diversion-rate",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/compost-diversion-savings",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/packaging-reduction-savings"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Recycling Revenue Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/recycling-revenue)"
}