Re: Any Examples of Profitable Residential Curbside Recycling?

["Annie Kavanagh" <kavanaghnswb@bigpond.com.au>]

Gary,
It always depends on what you mean by profit.

Here in Australia, a report was commissioned by the National Packaging
Covenant Council (Federal Government/State Government/Industry partnership)
and undertaken by Nolan ITU Pty Ltd in conjunction with SKM Economics to
assess the net costs and benefits of kerbside collection and recycling
systems. (We spell kerbside differently over here--)

"The inclusion of environmental benefits (expressed in dollar terms)
together with current recycling and collection system costs provides an
overall average benefit of $42 per household per year. This comprises an
average net financial cost of $26 per household per year and an average
environmental benefit of $68 per household per year..."

The study hastens to point out that these results are relevant in the
context of the goal and scope of this study. However, it is worth our
continually pressing the point that questions of profitability always need
to answered with some realistic accounting for environmental costs/benefits.

It is hard to do.

Our accounting systems (and our ways of thinking) are struggling with the
necessity to internalise the externalities, to regard natural resources as a
finite capital base in all business calculations.

Recycling, as one of the more mature areas of business, government and
community environmental enterprises has a chance to help this change in
accounting practice take place.

Annie Kavanagh
Project Officer
Northern Sydney Waste Board
www.northwaste.nsw.gov.au
Ph: 02 9428 5673
Fax: 02 9428 5674

-- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Liss" <gary@garyliss.com>
To: "Wastenet" <waste@cedar.univie.ac.at>; "Recycle List"
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Sent: Thursday, 25 January 2001 8:47 AM
Subject: Fwd: Any Examples of Profitable Residential Curbside Recycling?


> Correction.  NOT INCLUDING YARD WASTE.  JUST CURBSIDE RECYCLING.
>
> >From: Gary Liss <gary@garyliss.com>
> >Subject: Any Examples of Profitable Residential Recycling?
> >
> >Apologies for Cross-Posting
> >
> >Does anyone know of a local government residential recycling program in
> >the U.S. that is currently profitable (including curbside recycling and
> >yard waste recycling services).  Profit in this case is referring to a
net
> >revenue to the local government, after accounting for all expenses,
> >material sales revenues, and avoided garbage disposal costs.
>
> Gary Liss
> 916-652-7850
> Fax: 916-652-0485
>