Charles Nwaoguji
Waste recycling business is a booming enterprise in Nigeria. This business is a money spinner but if you don’t start and continue doing it the right way, you may run into hitches thereby turning your money into a waste instead of turning waste into money.
Waste recycling business is money but any business you plan to embark upon needs to be learned. Without having adequate information, you may fold up within shortest time possible.
Starting waste recycling business goes along with right mindset in knowing that you are offering a service to humanity. Recycling not only rids the world of garbage but helps make sure lands and water are less polluted. With increased awareness in environmental protection, you as a business owner can take the opportunity and start your own waste recycling plant and make more money.
What is waste?
Waste is anything that people do not value anymore and would love to throw away. Waste is the empty box that contained the new television set you just got or the paper bag you used to carry the items you bought at the supermarket.
These things are now waste because you have no further need for them and would like to dispose of them.
However, waste isn’t entirely useless because there are people and businesses that will pay to have them. Waste will remain a part of our lives for as long as we exist. While some people may produce more waste than others, everybody produces it everyday as leftover food, dirty water or garbage.
The most common types of solid waste in Africa, especially in Nigeria, are domestic waste (garbage and rubbish produced by individuals and households), commercial waste (solid waste coming from business places such as stores, markets, office buildings, restaurants, shops, bars, etc.), and industrial waste (produced by factories and processing plants). Other forms of waste are agricultural waste, hazardous waste, health care waste and electronic waste.
How to start waste recycling business
• Conduct a feasibility study to determine the type of waste recycling business to start with.
• Have a business plan and know where to establish your company/factory and have it run from there as your base.
• Obtain the needed permits for your business and make sure you have all the licenses intact to avoid being disturbed by law enforcement agents as that could hinder your production.
• If you are on a lean budget, it’s advisable that you go for equipment leasing. But having your own is the best option because your productions won’t be hampered by any excuses. Have in mind that no single machine can handle all types of wastes at the same time. It’s usually better to start with one and later progress to others with time.
• Start with paper first and upgrade to other waste items like pure water nylons, bottles, green wastes, electronics and every other wastes because there are just many for you to choose from.
• Know what your competitors are dealing on and understand the techniques they are using and if you are financially buoyant, you can always key in where there are lapses from other factories around you.
• Having your business where people are mostly inclined to drop their recyclable wastes is of utmost importance because you will be having goods brought to you freely there.
• Get appropriate materials like weighing scales, huge bins, trucks and an office for some of your equipment.
• Get adequately prepared for the fees to run your business with. Contacting your local government for the requirements is always better as they would list the needed fees for you.
Do not be afraid to venture into the waste business. There is much money to make when your business gets established. With N2-3 million, one can start this business that is sure of 60 per cent Return on Investment (RoI) monthly. What you need is a plot of land to accommodate your wastes and other requirements as outlined above. Any small scale plant is sure to be producing not less than 2-3 tonnes of recycled waste per day. A kilogramme goes for $1.55 in international market.
There are many manufacturing companies in Nigeria that are looking for your recycled materials for use in their manufacturing plants. Waste management business is money if done properly and based on good information.
Waste collection
Waste collection is a serious business if you plan and execute it right. For a start, you will need lots of willing customers like homes, offices, companies, restaurants, among others. The good part is, the customers are already there waiting for you to approach them and introduce yourself. You can start collection business on any scale. Of course, it makes more sense if you can afford a waste collection truck but you can start with even a wheelbarrow and still make money.
Waste processing/recycling
Waste processing usually goes hand in hand with waste collection. There are two types of waste, organic and inorganic waste. Both of them have very good economic uses. Organic waste is degradable waste such as food, grass, animals and anything that can decay. Inorganic waste is not degradable and includes plastic, non-degradable paper, rubber, glass, etc.
Biogas production
The concept of biogas is relatively new in this part of the world but in places like Vietnam and India, biogas has been in use for four decades.
Biogas refers to a mixture of gases produced by the decay or fermentation of organic waste like sewage, kitchen waste, animal manure, food scraps and plant materials.
Starting a biogas business will require more than a passing knowledge of the technology. You will need to master the techniques and have access to large amounts of organic waste.
Fertiliser production
Organic waste is a natural source of compost. Compost is used as natural fertiliser, which farmers are willing to pay you for if you can maintain a steady supply of compost.
The business holds so much potential that when you understand the sheer benefits of compost to agriculture, you will get angry the next time you see people throwing waste away.
To set up a compost farm, you will need large amounts of organic waste supply. It also ties closely with waste collection and processing because it is at the point of collecting and processing waste that you separate organic from inorganic waste.
Scrap metal collection
There are people who make more than daily living just by picking and selling scrap metal to metal processing companies. When we burn or bury waste, we are throwing away outrageous amounts of money.