How to make money using recycled products

Recycling can be as good for the pocket as it is for the environment. There is a growing range of recycling services offering to trade certain goods in for cash, and sites where you can sell unwanted goods – and aware consumers all over the world are making money recycling items they might otherwise have been thrown away. Unfortunately some people aren’t as quick to catch on to the benefits of recycling. Only 32 percent of people in U.S. recycle and Ireland that percentage is even lesser. This number has slowly improved over the last few years but it’s nowhere near what it should be. Most eco conscious people are well aware of the importance of recycling, but many may need an added incentive. As a result, many local governments have put in place recycling programs that allow people to make money recycling. There are also other creative recycling ideas that pay off in the end. Few ways to make money through recycling are listed below.

Recycling of old CDs, DVDs and computer games for cash

It’s almost impossible to estimate the number of old CDs, DVDs, computer games and other home entertainment items there are in the world, around 2,500 tons of CDs alone are thrown away each year.
Whether you’re upgrading technology or want to revamp your collection you can always make money recycling old CDs, DVDs and computer games instead of throwing them away.

Make money recycling old books

Rather than leaving unwanted or unread books on the shelf we can pass them on to a new home and make some extra money. Websites including Amazon and Green Metropolis let you sell second-hand books via their virtual bookstores because of the materials used to make electronics such as lead, mercury and brominated flame retardants, it is important to keep as much of the estimated 2.5 million-plus tons of e-waste out of the waste stream.

What’s more, many of the materials necessary in cell phone production, such as coltan are rare and the need for them is the cause for conflict in countries where they are mined. Whether the materials used to make electronics are abundant or not, it is more efficient to reuse these resources than to mine, process and ship new ones. Fortunately, there are easy ways to be sure your e-waste is recycled properly, and some companies will even pay for your e-waste. Recycling is the future and if you can explore to its potential there are plenty of ways to earn from it.