Ways to Make Money By Recycling

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Recycling is an excellent method to make a bit of extra money. If you get serious about making money from recycling, you could easily make a decent regular income. Recycling isn't just about sorting cardboard, glass and other recyclables from your trash; it's about giving new life to things that might otherwise end up at the rubbish dump. Here are some ways you could start making money by recycling.

Recycle Your Old Clothes

Do you have a closet full of clothes you no longer wear? They might be the wrong size, wrong style or just not fashionable this year. Clear out your closet and make some money on those old clothes by holding a garage sale, set up a stall at a flea market, or sell them online. Be prepared though, as you won't be able to sell your old clothes for the price you paid originally; be ready to accept a few dollars, or less, per piece.

Be sure to wash your old clothes to remove any stains, and iron them if needed; you should do all you can to make them look as presentable as possible. If you have brand new clothing with tags still attached, you will be able to fetch a bit more money for these.

Recycle Your Hair

If you have long hair that has not been treated with hair dye or other chemical treatments, you could sell your cut hair. Human hair is desired for high quality hair extensions and wigs, so instead of just throwing out your hair trimmings you could make some money instead. You will need at least 10 inches of hair (but the longer your hair, the more money you could make).

There are online marketplaces where you can sell your hair direct to buyers, or some hair salons will cut and buy your hair. Of course, this isn't going to become a regular income, but it could earn you a few hundred dollars every few years!

Recycle Scrap Metal

Recycling scraps of metal can definitely make you a bit of money if you know what to look for. Copper, aluminum and brass can all fetch a bit of money, although steel may not make you much profit.

Firstly, you should learn how to identify the differences between different metals. Then you need to collect the scrap metals; kerbside council rubbish collections are great opportunities to find scrap metals that would otherwise get thrown into landfill. If you work in the building or construction industry, you may also have access to metal offcuts or other metal scraps; be sure you obtain permission before you take scrap metal from your workplace though.

Once you have collected a good amount of scrap metal, it helps to sort it out so the scrap yard can accurately assess how much your scraps are worth. The scrap yard will often give you cash for your scraps, but be aware that you may need an ABN and need to declare this income on your tax return. Contact companies like Collins Recycling to learn more.

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21 May 2015

Recycling in Remote Areas: Ideas, Advocacy and Education

Hi, my name is Christine. About a year ago, I left the city and moved to a remote corner of Australia. I noticed that while surrounded by natural beauty and peace, I was missing several amenities, and one of these was access to recycling. As a result, I started figuring out ways to expand recycling in remote areas. I also started researching how to advocate for bringing it to these areas and educating citizens about the importance of how it helps. If you want to learn about recycling, what it does, and why it can be hard to find in some areas, you need to explore my blog. Enjoy reading!