Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Net recycling revenue
$7,706
Gross commodity revenue
$8,250
Processing fees paid
$544
Total recyclable tons
68.0
Net revenue per ton
$113.32
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How to use this
- 1Enter cardboard (occ) (tons/yr).
- 2Enter cardboard price ($/ton).
- 3Enter aluminum cans (tons/yr).
- 4Enter aluminum price ($/ton).
- 5Enter mixed paper/plastic (tons/yr).
- 6Enter mixed material price ($/ton).
- 7Enter hauler processing fee ($/ton).
- 8Read your net recycling revenue on the right — it updates as you type.
- 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
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.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
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
Results
- Net recycling revenue: $7,706
- Gross commodity revenue: $8,250
- Processing fees paid: $544
- Total recyclable tons: 68
- Net revenue per ton: $113.32
What each field means
Inputs
- Cardboard (OCC) (tons/yr)
- The cardboard (occ) used in the calculation, measured in tons/yr. Starts at 40 tons/yr so you have a working example on load.
- Cardboard price ($/ton)
- The cardboard price used in the calculation, measured in $/ton. Starts at 95 $/ton so you have a working example on load.
- Aluminum cans (tons/yr)
- The aluminum cans used in the calculation, measured in tons/yr. Starts at 3 tons/yr so you have a working example on load.
- Aluminum price ($/ton)
- The aluminum price used in the calculation, measured in $/ton. Starts at 1400 $/ton so you have a working example on load.
- Mixed paper/plastic (tons/yr)
- The mixed paper/plastic used in the calculation, measured in tons/yr. Starts at 25 tons/yr so you have a working example on load.
- Mixed material price ($/ton)
- The mixed material price used in the calculation, measured in $/ton. Starts at 10 $/ton so you have a working example on load.
- Hauler processing fee ($/ton)
- The hauler processing fee used in the calculation, measured in $/ton. Starts at 8 $/ton so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Net recycling revenue
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Gross commodity revenue
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Processing fees paid
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total recyclable tons
- Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Net revenue per ton
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why is my mixed-plastic revenue near zero or negative?
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.
How volatile are these commodity prices?
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.
Should I invest in a baler?
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.
Accuracy and 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.
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Cost and emissions savings from lighter or reduced packaging.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Recycling Revenue Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/recycling-revenue
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/recycling-revenue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Recycling Revenue Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Recycling Revenue Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/recycling-revenue) (2026).