How to start a garbage business in a small town. How to open a waste collection and recycling business. Premises and equipment

Russians produce hundreds of tons of garbage every year. It accumulates in landfills, is buried, and burned. By the way, it's all money! Yes, by burying garbage in landfills, we are burying capital in the ground. But a significant part of the garbage can be recycled and make money from it.

Moreover, this is not necessarily a multi-million dollar investment in a complex and large plant. In fact, setting up a waste recycling facility is easier than it seems. Need sorting line, a press, a couple of trucks and a garbage truck. That’s it, with this arsenal you can “go into battle.”

The essence of recycling

Let's dot all the i's right away. We will not talk about the business of full-fledged waste recycling. This is quite an expensive matter. It is much easier to start sorting and selling waste paper, plastic bottles and cans for further processing.

In this case, your job is as follows: you receive garbage, sort it, selecting plastic, tin, paper and cardboard. Next, you send it all to the press. Afterwards, the finished briquettes made of plastic, tin or paper are loaded into the machine and sent to customers.

Who is the buyer? There are many of them, you just need to look. In fact, these are almost all companies involved in the production of plastic products, cardboard, and tin products.

According to reviews from people involved in similar business, it is important to choose the right personnel. Needless to say, the work is not very prestigious and is quite specific, especially at the sorting stage. Where you literally have to sort through tons of garbage with your hands in search of the things you need.

And this is one of the key problems of this business. As entrepreneur Igor Sviridov, who processes waste in Volgograd, says, there is nothing more difficult than finding people to sort.

“This became a real problem, and the work was unskilled and dirty, so the salary was not the highest, but I paid waste sorters decently, at least more than the loaders in the neighboring hypermarket,” says Igor. - It did not help. After working for a short time, they always quit. I tried to hire homeless people and the so-called downtrodden element. But it didn't help. The solution was found through trial and error. First, I improved working conditions. And my sorters have disposable capes for clothes, beautiful and comfortable uniforms, a clean and modern locker room, and a shower. Secondly, I and other employees did our best to demonstrate to the sorters that they were a key link in our chain of success. Thirdly, at first I myself worked with them on sorting. As a result, I solved an impossible task and coped with the staff turnover in the sorting department!”

Where to get raw materials?

At the landfill. Do not laugh. In fact, only there you will find a lot of ownerless plastic bottles, cardboard, and glass containers. All that’s left to do is to agree with the management of the landfill that you will be allowed to “rakes up the rubble.” Problems may arise here, but, as practitioners say, a little help from the landfill administration solves all the issues.

Local homeless people are quite suitable as primary sorters who will select the garbage that interests you. They know very well what is where, and for little money they are ready to give you this stuff. The only thing is that they need strict control.

But there is another option - you can enter into an agreement with shops, markets, and various institutions. They regularly have tens of kilograms of paper waste that needs to be disposed of somewhere. According to Igor Sviridov from Volgograd, he easily concluded an agreement with a supermarket chain for the export of empty cardboard boxes. For this he pays little money. But it is guaranteed to receive large volumes of paper and cardboard, which it then delivers to processors in compressed form.

“If you don’t take into account the costs of transportation, wages, and so on, then I sell a kilogram of waste paper at least 10 times more expensive than I bought it from the supermarket,” Igor clarifies. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to build such a supply chain with plastic bottles.

Where and how to sell

Main consumers waste paper, plastic and tin- various productions. They are found in almost every region, and, as experience shows, they happily accept recyclable materials.

But they take it by weight. In addition, no one will be happy if you bring a KAMAZ full of plastic bottles or waste paper. After all, half of it is air, and such recyclables will take up an unreasonably large amount of space. Also, are you willing to pay for air transportation?

Therefore, the main part of the waste processing plant is the press. This should be a universal press that will turn your garbage into dense cubes. It is these cubes that you will sell. Moreover, as existing entrepreneurs say, it is quite profitable.

Unfortunately, Igor Sviridov does not disclose the amount of his profit. But he emphasizes that the profitability of his business is almost 100 percent, and the demand for products is constantly growing.

Ivan Muravyov
Photo from wordpress.com, giport.ru, icd.com.vn, xakac.info, liveinternet.ru

• 1 Opening a mini waste processing plant - where to start?
• 2 Features and advantages of business
• 3 Which waste is more profitable to recycle?
• 4 How to choose the location and premises for the plant?
• 5 What documents are needed to open a waste recycling plant?
• 6 What equipment should I choose for recycling waste?
• 7 Technological stages of waste processing
• 8 Profitability of the waste recycling business
• 9 How much money does it take to open a mini waste recycling plant?
• 10 Is it possible to get government support to start a business?
• 11 How much profit can a waste recycling business bring?
• 12 Conclusion

Business is truly rewarding when it gives you not only financial profit, but also the knowledge that your business is contributing to society and benefiting the environment. Cities grow and develop, the population increases, and at the same time the amount of waste increases. Already, they occupy a large area of ​​land, which could be used in agriculture and for other useful purposes. That is why a business such as a waste recycling plant is becoming increasingly relevant and profitable.

Opening a mini waste processing plant - where to start?

Before you begin to implement the idea of ​​​​opening your own factory, you need to get acquainted with the features of this area, as well as consider the main advantages of such a business.

Features and benefits of business

This type of business has a number of main advantages, which include:

1. Stability
   The city produces tons of garbage every day, so there will be regular demand for such a facility.
   
2. Financial support from the state
   Another advantage of this business. When organizing such a plant, you will be able to take advantage of certain benefits provided to you by the state. You can receive funding in the form of a grant, or a loan at 0% or special tax conditions, since a mini waste processing plant is a contribution to the development of society.
3. Production of useful products from processed raw materials
   The main feature of such a mini-factory is that waste is not destroyed, but recycled. The profitability of this business also lies in the fact that new products can be created from waste. For example, napkins, plastic bags, base for plastic bottles, glass, biofuel, etc. In addition, part of the waste is scrap metal. You can also find out how to open scrap metal collection point as an additional source of profit.
4. Small staff
   A small team of specialists is sufficient to operate a waste processing plant, which reduces wage costs.
5. Lack of competition
   Another advantage of a waste recycling plant. A low level of competition or its absence allows you to successfully run a business for many years.
   

What kind of waste is more profitable to recycle?

In order to open a universal plant for processing all types of waste, huge investments will be needed. Therefore, it is better to immediately decide on a specific type of waste and open a mini-plant for processing a certain type of waste. For example, you can learn how to open a mini-factoryfor recycling broken glass.

Profitable and popular types of waste that your future enterprise can specialize in are paper waste and plastic. Recycled plastic can be used to make containers, as well as furniture and even clothing. In turn, paper waste is an excellent raw material for the production of toilet paper, food packaging, etc.

How to choose the location and premises for the plant?

Choosing land for construction or premises for renting a factory is an important step towards realizing a business idea.

Block title

It is prohibited to locate a waste processing plant on your own plot of land; the enterprise must be located outside the city and be as far as possible from residential areas, educational institutions, catering places, etc.

Abandoned buildings of an industrial complex are perfect for a mini factory. Renting such premises will not require huge investments. Several hundred square meters per month will cost 30-35 thousand rubles. This is explained by the fact that former warehouse and production premises, as a rule, are not in demand.

If you want to open your own factory, then be prepared to shell out a total of more than 1 million rubles for construction and paperwork. In addition, it must be taken into account that land intended for agricultural needs cannot be purchased for the construction of such premises.

What documents are needed to open a waste processing plant?

Now let’s decide on the documentation that will be needed to open a waste recycling plant.

The first thing aspiring businessmen think about is the form of entrepreneurial activity -LLC or individual entrepreneur.In this case, to open a mini waste processing plant, it will be necessary to register an LLC, since according to the law, individual entrepreneurs do not have the right to engage in this type of activity.

You can establish a legal entity yourself by first reading the information on opening an LLC on the websiteFederal Tax Service, or contact experienced lawyers for help.

After you have registered an LLC, you need to obtain a license for this type of activity. A permit is issued by Rosprirodnadzor usually within 30 days after filing an application, and is valid indefinitely.

To obtain a license, it is better to turn to professionals, since there is a high probability of being rejected if you try to apply for it yourself. The funds spent on documents are not compensated in any way, and, therefore, you will lose a very large amount of money.

What equipment to choose for waste processing?

The basic set of necessary equipment for waste recycling includes:

• Garbage shredding machines
• Sorting line
• Press
• Heat treatment device
• Washing apparatus
• Drying apparatus
• Storage compartment
• Magnetic installation

The cost of equipment at 2018 prices will be at least 2 million rubles.

The choice of manufacturers largely depends on financial capabilities. A large assortment on the modern market is offered by equipment manufacturers from China and Taiwan. Equipment from domestic manufacturers is also in high demand. In addition to the fact that it is characterized as reliable, a big advantage is also the provision of service from the organizations that produce it.

European equipment, although different in quality, is still quite expensive for beginners in this niche. In addition, entire plant complexes for processing solid waste are sold.

The equipment must be under constant human supervision. This is why your business will need staff. To work at the mini-factory, workers will be needed, which include:

• sorters;
• packers;
• production line operators;
• technologists;
• accountant;
• factory security guard;
• administrator.

The fitter will be responsible for the serviceability of the equipment. You don’t have to keep him on staff, but if force majeure occurs or equipment breaks down, it’s better to have such an employee with you so as not to slow down the production process.

Technological stages of waste processing

Now let’s look at the main stages of the plant’s operation and waste processing:

1. The garbage ends up on a conveyor along which it moves towards the sorting complex. On the way, he passes through a magnetic installation, with the help of which metal is extracted from a pile of garbage.
2. Once in the sorting complex, waste is divided into different groups depending on the material. Sorting can be done either manually or using special devices.
3. Each waste group is sent to its own zone. Waste paper and paper go to the waste packaging area. Subsequently, toilet paper, napkins, and tetrapacks can be made from it. The plastic goes to shredding, after which it can also be recycled. In turn, the glass is sent to a special container, and then also used as recycled raw materials, bringing considerable benefits. If you want to increase the supply of glass to the plant, read how to openglass container collection point.
4. Some of the remaining waste is sent to landfill, and some is burned in a gasifier. During the combustion process, energy is generated and even useful products are obtained: oil and fuel fractions.

Waste that has been sorted and processed is transformed into raw materials that can be used to manufacture products. As a rule, such factories have a number of regular customers who buy raw materials for secondary production.

Profitability of waste recycling business

A waste recycling plant cannot be considered a very profitable type of business. It requires fairly large financial investments in the initial stages, so it is more suitable for those who already have impressive start-up capital and want to do good for the environment and people.

The profitability of a waste recycling business ranges from 25 to 30%.

In Russia, this niche is developed quite differently than in the West. However, with the growth of technology and the expansion of environmental awareness among people, this industry has great prospects.

How much money does it take to open a mini waste recycling plant?

To understand the reality of bringing an idea to life, you need to calculate the amount of money that will be needed at the start. In such cases, a business plan is drawn up, in which the financial component of the project is prescribed as a separate paragraph.

Let's consider what amounts will be required to open a waste recycling plant.

The cost plan for a mini-plant for processing solid waste includes the following items:

1. The cost of purchasing a waste sorting complex is 6.43 million rubles.
2. Purchase of a mobile sorting line - 2.53 million rubles.
3. Press for polyethylene waste - 275 thousand rubles.
4. Press for paper waste - 255 thousand rubles.
5. Press for metal (aluminum cans) - 275 thousand rubles.
6. Dryer drum - 290 thousand rubles.
7. Purchase or construction of premises and paperwork - 1.5 million rubles.
8. Transport - 85 thousand rubles.

Result: 11,640,000 rubles.

Operating expenses (per year):

1. Equipment repair - 150 thousand rubles.
2. Salary for employees - 4.5 million rubles.
3. Taxes - 1.2 million rubles.
4. Transport - 9 thousand rubles.
5. Electricity - 600 thousand rubles.
6. Other expenses - 100 thousand rubles.

Result: RUB 6,559,000. annual costs or about 550 thousand rubles. per month.

In addition to the above costs, a workshop for the production of products from recycled raw materials can be organized next to the plant. This will increase the initial investment, but also double the subsequent profits.

Is it possible to get government support to start a business?

In this article we have already touched on the issue of government support when starting a business. If the project has real social significance and relevance for the region, then it is quite possible to receive a grant to start your own business.

For example, regional authorities in each constituent entity of the Russian Federation annually conduct programs to reimburse part of the costs for the purchase of production equipment. An entrepreneur can receive up to 3 million rubles in compensation under this program.

In addition, a state bank can issue an interest-free loan to a start-up entrepreneur.

How much profit can a waste recycling business bring?

The amount of profit from a waste treatment plant varies depending on the size and type of activity. Many budding entrepreneurs are thinking about how to make moneyin plastic processing, and not by chance, because paper and plastic are the most profitable types of waste. Therefore, let’s take a mini-plant for processing plastic waste as an example and calculate the approximate amount of profit for the year.

Let's assume that the plant sells about 4,000 tons of raw materials per year. For one ton you can earn about 5 thousand rubles. Therefore, per year under favorable circumstances you receive 20 million rubles. arrived.

Who will pay money for raw materials? The main consumers of raw materials in our case are various companies that produce disposable plastic tableware, clothing manufacturers, as well as general-purpose containers.

Subsequently, production can be expanded: purchase additional equipment or build your own enterprise for the production of goods from processed raw materials.

Did you know that an ordinary aluminum beer can, for example, after “reincarnation” turns into metal for the defense industry? Watch this video, you will learn many interesting and surprising things about recycling:

Conclusion

To summarize, it is worth noting that a waste recycling plant is indeed a profitable business, as well as a contribution to the future of our planet. But the implementation of this enterprise requires large financial investments and preliminary preparation.

If you really want to do this kind of business, you should know its strengths and weaknesses in action. To do this, you should undergo an internship at one of these enterprises to see the whole process with your own eyes. In addition, try to communicate with people who work in this business. You can do this at special exhibitions where manufacturers advertise their waste processing equipment.

If you have weighed the pros and cons and realized that this type of business is not suitable for you at this stage, pay attention to other options. You can learn how to organize your profitablesawdust business.

Whatever you choose, know that we wish you success!

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Professional business plans

In the “country of the Soviets,” which proudly called itself “the most reading country in the world,” there was one good method of obtaining books at symbolic state prices. Bookstores had waste paper collection points where, by handing over paper, you could then get scarce books and magazines. Europeans, tempted by other entertainments, also monetized the delivery of garbage. So, in many European countries, machines for accepting bottles, cans, and other recyclables are installed on the streets and in shopping centers. For example, in Finland I handed over 32 tin cans to such a machine and received a discount on goods of almost 5 euros. But we decided to figure out how things are in the Dnieper together with ecologist Tatyana Lampika.

Easier doesn't mean better

Tatyana has been sorting garbage at home for several years. In separate boxes and bags - cardboard and paper, glass, plastic bottles, tin, aluminum cans, thick cellophane packaging and tape.

“Trash accumulated over three months. I live in the private sector and it’s easier with biological waste - they all go into compost. I collect a bag of garbage with waste once a month. That is, sorting reduces waste disposal significantly. And so you throw out garbage every 3-4 days. It’s more difficult for apartment residents, but they can still sort most of the garbage. And there should be at least several recycling collection points every quarter. And of course, understand where these raw materials go later.”

On the left bank on the street. In the Baikalskaya market area there are two points for receiving secondary raw materials. One accepts waste paper, and the second can be called almost universal. So, what did Tatyana manage to surrender?

Firstly, it is 6.5 kg of cardboard and 2.5 kg of plastic bottles. By the way, when handing over the plastic, Tatyana noted that shampoo bottles should be handed in separately, as there may be chemical residues there, but alas, our “gray collectors” take everything in one go.

Secondly, 3.5 kg glass bottles. Moreover, there are many nuances here. For example, beer and some vodka bottles are accepted at different prices and per piece. But wine bottles or lemonade containers are accepted by weight - according to the acceptance staff, they are like broken glass. Aluminum cans are also accepted, but mostly by weight. But they don’t accept tin ones - there is no demand for them. It’s the same with packaging (polyethylene and cellophane) - for example, rigid packaging, which is used, for example, for parcels at Novaya Poshta, and the receivers take adhesive tape, but simply do not accept cellophane. Packages of fish or sausage are also not accepted.
“Fish, sausage - we don’t accept packaging from it because of the smell. The shops don't need it. And for plastics, we mostly take boxes,” the receivers explain.

As elsewhere, there is supply and demand. From collection points, recyclable materials are distributed to different recycling workshops, or factories, both in our region and beyond. For example, glass is mainly taken by the Novomoskovsk Utility plant. The paper and cardboard are picked up by the Dnepropetrovsk Paper Mill, where, as the waste collectors told us, the paper is additionally sorted by density and color. The Interpipe Steel plant accepts scrap metal for 4 UAH per kilogram. And plastic bottles are processed in a workshop several kilometers from the collection point.

In total, Tatyana managed to earn 34 UAH for handing over the garbage (whereas, for example, in Finland for such a volume she would have been able to get several tens of euros).

“Of course this is not enough. Probably, a person will spend more on gasoline to bring garbage here than he gets for garbage. And no one will ride in a minibus with bags of garbage. Therefore, of course, it’s easier for people to throw it away somewhere closer. And it’s good if it goes into a trash can, and not into a spontaneous landfill. Therefore, such cheapness of recyclable materials does not encourage them to be handed over. Finally, the population does not have a culture of sorting waste at home. But if we sorted the garbage and handed it over, then much less waste would end up in the landfill.”

Bureaucracy guarding garbage

Bureaucracy is also not conducive to the recycling business. A couple of kilometers from the collection point, Tatyana showed us a waste dump from the processing of secondary raw materials, which was set up by an illegal workshop.

“Almost all such waste collection points are run by illegal immigrants. Like many waste processing shops. And any such processing has waste. Only in the case of illegal immigrants do we get dumps like this. Here is waste from a plastic bottle recycling workshop. Stickers, production rejection. Ideally, all this should be burned in a thermal furnace at a temperature above 850 degrees, with three-stage cleaning. And if the furnace itself costs about 70 thousand dollars, then the filters at such an enterprise are very expensive and essentially are not available anywhere in our region.

“In general, this business is profitable, but there are many bureaucratic difficulties in order to legally build such an enterprise and operate legally - many licenses, permits, allocation of a sanitary zone, preparation of a project, and many simply do not want to bother with all this. Not to mention corruption. In Europe it's all easier. There, when you build an enterprise related to waste, you study the regulatory framework, contact a company that prepares all the documents for you, you put everything into operation. But if a service comes to you, for example, based on a complaint from residents, then you bear full responsibility. That is, build whatever you want, but if anything happens, you can then be pulverized for violations. With us, they “weed out” at the beginning - services come and stupidly collect money and collect more than those who issue licenses. The owners’ problem is also that they save on construction and do not complete the enterprise as it should. In addition, from experience, I have not seen vehicles with garbage stopped and inquired about where they were taken from and to where. This is interesting only to the local residents, who suffer from this garbage. And it’s cheaper for owners to pay a fine for garbage removal 10 times than to invest in the enterprise once.”

And of course there are problems with manufacturers.

“Products made from recycled paper are more expensive than those made from regular paper. Consumer things are already working here. They get the material cheaper, but processing is expensive and therefore we end up with more expensive products that people are not willing to pay for. Further, most product packaging does not have any processing marks, with rare exceptions, of course. For example, Coca-Cola is interested in the circulation of packaging, they are interested in their packaging being returned to them, because their packaging is more expensive and of higher quality. But, as a rule, manufacturers don’t care whether their packaging is recycled or not. Even the “Eco” badges are used purely as a marketing ploy.”

Tatyana sees the solution to the problem of sorting and recycling waste in a whole range of measures.

“In schools, in grades 2-3, lessons are taught that focus on environmental protection, waste sorting, why you should not burn leaves, etc. But this program is regional and it does not operate in all schools. The Rules for the Improvement of the City of Dnepr also stipulate the sorting of garbage, the installation of different tanks for collecting different types of garbage, and that every enterprise, every citizen must have a contract for garbage removal. That is, it is necessary to force enterprises, cafes, offices, citizens to sign contracts for removal and to be interested in where this garbage is being taken out and what is being done with it. If we are not responsible for the garbage we produce, nothing will work. Neither the police, nor the authorities, nor any inspections are interested in this. But people are only interested in this if garbage fills everything around them. Or if you can get money for this garbage or save on utilities. For example, in Europe, by recycling waste you can save on a subscription fee - and a considerable amount at that.”

And we, in turn, begin to sort the garbage. So to speak - let's check it out for ourselves.

Experts believe that by 2050, the amount of plastic in the oceans will exceed the amount of fish. Due to the catastrophes threatening the world, the role of environmental projects and startups is rapidly increasing.

It is no secret that the ecological state of the planet is deteriorating sharply. One of the main problems is garbage, and in particular plastic. Every minute, about a million plastic bottles are purchased around the world. The state of the oceans is especially indicative. In a minute, they receive the amount of garbage that an entire garbage collection machine could accommodate.

By 2050, the amount of plastic drifting in the oceans will exceed the amount of fish, according to projections based on reports from the World Economic Forum and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The territories of the so-called garbage continents are growing. According to recent estimates, the size of the Great Pacific Spot may exceed 1.5 million square kilometers. This means that if it were a state, it would occupy 19th place in the ranking of the largest countries in the world.

If in Russia and the CIS countries businesses and projects related to ecology are considered more of a tribute to fashion and a waste of time, then abroad the attitude to the problem is more serious. In this collection, we have collected 20 unusual foreign business ideas for 2018 in the field of processing. Of course, the authors of not all of them strive to really help improve the environment, caring more about self-PR. However, the solutions they propose are of interest and highlight some trends.

Ecobricks, an environmental non-profit movement originally from the Philippines, advocates for the recycling of plastic in construction. The project team came up with the idea of ​​creating bricks from plastic bottles to build houses, local areas and even modular furniture. The idea is to stuff the insides of the bottles with soft plastic waste and bags and then put the lid on. After this, several bottles are combined with silicone, adobe or cement to form a block 60 or 150 cm long. The resulting bricks are used not only as building materials, but also as decorative elements: the back of the bottle looks like a flower. The movement has swept not only Southeast Asia, but also other parts of the world. Activists were found in the USA, South America and Africa.

A designer of the fashion brand JUNG from South Korea named Jinah Jung presented a collection of bags and backpacks made from parts of sneakers. The project was called Con-shoeness: Military Monster Series. The products look very strange and sloppy and are unlikely to cause aesthetic pleasure. But it’s easy to attract attention. According to the designer, to create the collection she used one-sided shoe prototypes from the French brand Le Coq Sportif, which were given to her by the company's creative director. But you can try the idea with old sneakers.

Startup For Days is a service that decided to challenge the modern industry, focused on the production of disposable clothing. Users are encouraged to return old, torn T-shirts and get new and beautiful ones instead, made only from cotton. You can receive new shirts by subscription. Services will cost between $12 and $36 per month. The cost depends on the number of new T-shirts. You can order from 3 to 10 new items per month.

Service to reduce restaurant waste

In Toronto, a group of environmentalists created a startup called The terus, which helps food establishments reduce the cost of waste and disposable materials that harm the environment. The team analyzes a restaurant's business model and eliminates unnecessary costs, such as plastic straws and containers. According to CEO Lucy Cullen, the company recommended that one restaurant ditch disposable candles in favor of LED candles, resulting in savings of about $1,800 in one year. The terus say their efforts have already reduced waste by 61,000 pounds (about 28 tons) and saved restaurants more than $27,000.

British supermarket chain Waitrose is known for treating all its customers to free coffee. But environmentalists don’t really like this tradition, because the company leaves behind millions of plastic cups. Waitrose recently announced, with the approval of environmentalists, that it had decided to phase out plastic cups. For those customers who still want to receive branded free coffee, it will be poured into a personal cup, if they have one with them. As a result, production volumes will be reduced by 52 million plastic cups.

Another startup for responsible consumers who think about the future of the planet. The reGAIN app allows users to recycle old items in exchange for discounts. Clothes can be dropped off free of charge at one of 20,000 collection points located throughout the UK. As a gift, the service will provide discount coupons that are valid in partner clothing and footwear stores, home goods stores and grocery chains. The application is available in the App Store and Google Play. According to the creators of the service, every day in the UK as much clothing as would fit in 50 trucks is sent to landfill.

A pop-up cafe using plastic waste as a substitute for money has opened in London. For bringing recyclable plastic into the establishment, guests receive food from the vegetarian menu. The campaign was started by the brand of eco-friendly cleaning products Ecover, which decided to draw attention to its eco-bottles, which can be used for recycling. The pop-up café is being touted as “London’s first trash café”.

The New York company LOLIWARE proposes to permanently abandon plastic straws and switch to biodegradable ones. The project team chose seaweed as an alternative to plastic. Algae grows quickly, can absorb CO2, and the use of straws made of such material does not harm the environment, because they can be eaten or thrown away without harming the environment. The tubes are called LOLISTRAW. The authors of the idea are going to add more taste and benefits to their products in order to encourage users to consume them.

Living water in eco-friendly jars

The Life Water brand presented water bottled in aluminum cans that do not contain bisphenol A, a substance that can cause endocrine system disorders and even oncology. The cans are made from recycled aluminum and can be recycled. The product became available in UK retailers from 1 May 2018. We presented the new product at the Natural History Museum in London, which decided to set the world an example of responsible production and consumption.

The Organic Essence brand began producing deodorizing products in new packaging. It was decided to abandon the use of plastic options familiar to the buyer in favor of biodegradable paper tubes. As you might guess, the product's advertising focuses on natural ingredients. These are lemon, rose petals, lavender, etc. In addition to deodorants in eco-friendly packaging, Organic Essence sells all kinds of oils for the body, face and feet.

Cosmetics company Lush has come up with an eco-friendly loyalty system called the 5 Pot Program. When empty packaging of branded products is returned, the brand gives customers a new Fresh Face Mask. All branded products, including shampoos, conditioners, detergents, etc., are made from recycled materials that are returned by conscious customers.

In India, there is a tradition of offering flowers to Hindu gods. Used bouquets, as a rule, end up in Indian rivers, polluting them with toxic pesticides. Help Us Green has come up with a solution to this problem by hiring more than 1,200 women to process the petals into incense. As a result, hundreds of kilograms of petals are taken out of the temples and do not end up in waste. The women themselves now earn more in this industry than their husbands do in their jobs.

FoodCycler encourages consumers to consider recycling their household waste and purchase a composting machine. According to the manufacturers, the device is capable of reducing the volume of household waste by 90% and replacing a compost pit and garden fertilizers. For proper operation, the device must be filled with organic food waste and turned on for three hours. The device operates odorless and has a simple and aesthetic design that does not attract unnecessary attention.

Antwerp-based designers Vanessa Yuan and Joris VanBreuil have found a way to recycle old plastic toys into children's furniture. As part of the EcoBirdy project, end-of-life cars and dolls are sent to the only plant in Europe that can disassemble plastic into its components. After crushing, a new environmentally friendly granular material is obtained - ecotilene. By the way, the company has already patented it. Designer furniture is made from ecotilene: tables, chairs, lamps in the shape of rhinoceroses, etc. The founders also work with the children themselves, touring elementary schools as animators, talking about the benefits of recycling and collecting broken toys from children.

The creators of the LEZІ project drew attention to the inconveniences of business style clothing, which, as they say, is like a double-edged sword. Either it’s convenient but looks terrible, or vice versa. This is how comfortable elastic trousers were born, which comfortably fit the figure and always fit perfectly. The adaptive fabric does not wrinkle, supports the arrows, and the micropores in the yarn have the addition of coffee, which allows you to effectively combat unpleasant odors. In addition, recycled plastic is used to produce LEZІ trousers - 14.5 bottles per pair. On Kickstarter, the project was completed in just 12 hours, collecting more than $255 thousand in donations.

In Chile, on the banks of one of the canals, the Casa Pollo cottage appeared, which from a distance resembles some kind of old barn. But this is only at first glance. Upon closer acquaintance, it becomes clear that not everything is so simple. Floor-to-ceiling windows, a spacious interior, a stunning terrace overlooking the pond... According to the designers, Casa Pollo was created in a modern style, but using recycled materials - old wood and rusty metal profiles.

Fishing net toys and accessories

About 10% of all ocean pollution comes from fishing nets, which include plastic. The American company Bureo decided to make a business out of this by launching a unique production facility in Chile. For a fee, Chilean fishermen catch unusable nets, which are then recycled into useful items. At first, Bureo specialized in the production of skateboards, but then expanded its product line to include accessories. In collaboration with the Jenga company, the famous Jenga board game was also made from fishing nets.

Marine plastic swim shorts

Sloppy Tunas is another startup that catches drifting plastic and turns it into something useful. Namely - in swimming shorts. The plastic is collected from the Mediterranean Sea with the help of fishermen, and then sent for processing into pellets or fabric, from which swimming trunks are created. By the way, so that all stages of production can be called the beautiful definition of “eco-friendly”, only environmentally friendly paints are used in the painting process. The project was financed through crowdfunding and raised more than 14 thousand euros for development.

Russia has long been choking on dirt and garbage, but all the good intentions of the state to organize its recycling end in nothing. RBC selected six companies capable of recycling waste in the country, forming a new multi-billion dollar segment of the economy.

Rubbish numbers

400 kg the average Russian family of four produces 150 kg of plastic waste and 100 kg of waste paper per year

15 thousand tons garbage is removed from Moscow every day

40 million tons solid household waste is generated in Russia every year

31 billion tons waste is buried in Russian landfills

44% Russians throw away food because they don’t have time to eat it

Company: Amigo-Service LLC (Nizhny Novgorod)

Field of activity: tire recycling

Owner and CEO - Rustam Aizatullin

Market size: 1 million tons per year

Revenue in 2014: 20 million rub.

Investments: 15 million rub.

Seven years ago, Rustam Aizatullin left the police to start recycling glass. His company Amigo-Service sold waste from the Bor glass factory to bottle production factories such as the Turkish Sisecam. In 2012, Aizatullin came to the Nizhny Novgorod business incubator Clever with a new business idea: to create a production facility for recycling old tires. For its implementation, he received a grant in the amount of 300 thousand rubles.

According to the Association for the Promotion of Retreading and Recycling of Tires "Shinoecology", about 1 million tons of used tires are generated annually in Russia, but only 5-7% are recycled. Aizatullin proposed recycling tires into crumb rubber, which can be reused in road construction, for sprinkling football fields and playgrounds. The Guarantee Fund of the Nizhny Novgorod Region three times issued a microloan of 900 thousand rubles to Amigo-Service. at 9.5% per annum for business development. In 2013, Aizatullin received 7 million rubles. in the Russian Bank for the Support of Small and Medium Enterprises and another 5 million rubles. in the form of a subsidy from the Nizhny Novgorod Ministry of Entrepreneurship Support. With this money, the entrepreneur purchased a premises with an area of ​​1,300 square meters. m in Dzerzhinsk, leased a Gazelle for collecting and transporting tires, and also increased the staff to 43 people. Today, Amigo-Service’s capacity allows us to process up to 200 truck tires per day (6 tons of crumb rubber), received under contracts with tire shops and from private assemblers. According to Aizatullin’s estimates, Amigo-Service currently recycles about 15% of used tires in Nizhny Novgorod.

Aizatullin sells his baby for 14-15 rubles. for 1 kg at a cost of 9 rubles. The entrepreneur plans to establish a complete recycling of tires. Now, on average, after recycling 100 tons of tires, 30 tons of waste remains in the form of metal cord and textile fiber, which are taken to a landfill. In the second half of 2014, Amigo-Service launched a pyrolysis unit, and is now completing experiments on remelting steel cord. At the output, the company should receive metal from which it plans to cast wrenches, as well as energy, which will allow the production premises to be fully illuminated and heated.

Company: CJSC "Aksion-RDM" (Perm)

Field of activity: extraction of rare earth and noble metals from production waste

Co-owner and CEO - Dmitry Kondrutsky

Market size:$1 billion per year

Revenue in 2014: RUB 3.7 million

Investments: RUB 47.8 million

In 2008, Dmitry Kondrutsky defended his PhD thesis on enzymes and biomolecules at the Volga Polytechnic Institute. As part of his scientific work, he invented a resin (axionite), which, when added to industrial waste, absorbs rare earth (indium, cesium, europium, etc.) and noble metals. Most rare earth metals are used in modern electronics, but almost none are produced in Russia. In May 2010, a venture fund managed by Bioprocess Capital Partners invested 18.5 million rubles in Kondrutsky’s invention. with the condition that the development of the project will continue on the basis of the Perm Chemical Company. As a result, Aksion-RDM CJSC was created (the venture capital fund participated in the project through the authorized capital, now it owns approximately 3/4 of the company’s authorized capital). In 2011, Aksion-RDM received a grant of 29.3 million rubles to improve technology, patent and enter the market. from the Skolkovo Foundation.

Using the attracted investments, Kondrutsky developed equipment with which rare earth metals are extracted using axionite. The device costs 800 thousand rubles. is already working at the Russian Copper Company and Acron, and the axionite itself is produced at the facilities of JSC Aksion-RDM. “With the use of axionite, mining companies can have an impressive additional profit of up to $20-30 million,” Kondrutsky tells RBC. Dmitry estimates the volume of the Russian market at $1 billion, but now 99% of it is free. Kondrutsky plans to occupy 80% of the volume over the next decade.

Company: LLC "Southern Federal District Processing"

Field of activity: plastic recycling

Owner and CEO - Roman Sebekin

Market size: 4 million tons per year

Revenue in 2013: 4 million rub.

Investments: 6.5 million rubles.

At the age of 21, Roman Sebekin decided to build a house, but it turned out that this was not a cheap undertaking. Therefore, he spent $500 to assemble a machine and organize the production of blocks of polystyrene (foam) filler. At first, Roman bought granules for polystyrene, but then he came to an agreement with several Volgograd hardware stores like Tekhnomarket: they saved on transporting plastic waste to a landfill, and he saved on raw materials. Sebekin paid private collectors 4 rubles for 1 kg of plastic. In 2008, Roman won a competition for young entrepreneurs organized by Opora Rossii and Promsvyazbank. As a prize, the entrepreneur received a preferential loan for three years in the amount of 1.5 million rubles. at 15% per annum. Sebekin used it to buy equipment for processing all types of plastic waste: bottles, toys, boxes, film. Four years later, Vagit Alekperov’s Our Future Foundation provided Sebekin with an interest-free loan of 5 million rubles. With them, he moved from the yard to a small factory, bought a vehicle and installed 300 tanks in Volgograd for the selective collection of plastic waste.

Today Sebekin has mastered 10% of Volgograd’s plastic waste, which is estimated at 30 thousand tons per year. The capacity allows the entrepreneur to produce 10 thousand polystyrene concrete blocks per month. “For a house of 100 sq. m need 30 thousand blocks, we sell them for 25 rubles. [at Leroy Merlin the same aerated concrete block costs 62 rubles], says Sebekin. - The cost of the block is 15 rubles. It takes 1 kg of plastic.” The factory is also capable of producing 15 thousand square meters. m of paving slabs and tiles per year. The revenue of Southern Federal District Pererabotka LLC in 2013 amounted to 4 million rubles. Our immediate plans include setting up production in Moscow and also starting production of polymer sleepers for Russian Railways.

Company: LLC "Bioenergia"

Field of activity: organic waste processing

Founder and CEO - Alexander Smotritsky

Market size: at least 200 million tons per year Revenue in 2014: n.a.

Investments: 20 million rub. Alexander Smotritsky, head of the company

“Bioenergia” (Ekaterinburg), recalls that personal experience prompted him to the topic of processing organic waste. “On the way to Koltsovo airport there is a large poultry farm that emits a very unpleasant smell,” says the entrepreneur. Having become interested in this issue, Smotritsky found out that in Russia poultry farms and other producers of organic waste (sewage, farms, etc.) most often transport waste to fields or store it without processing it. “According to various estimates, at least 200 million tons of such waste are generated annually in Russia,” he says in an interview with RBC. Meanwhile, organic waste is an excellent source for the production of biogas and fertilizers.

In Europe, over the past 15 years, several thousand biogas plants (BGUs) have been built in large agricultural complexes and on the basis of urban sewerage systems. A typical biogas plant is capable of producing 50 cubic meters from 1 ton of raw materials. m of biogas, from which, when burned, you can obtain 100 kWh of electricity, and up to 200 kg of fertilizers. The main problem of modern biogas plants is the slow process: fermentation of waste can take from 20 to 60 days. Smotritsky, together with his partners, developed the WiseSoil complex (protected by three patents), which, thanks to mechanical preparation and subsequent bacterial treatment, doubles the fermentation process of waste and doubles the biogas yield. This can significantly increase the economic efficiency of BSU.

From a ton of waste, which usually has a negative value, up to 100 cubic meters can be obtained. m of biogas, the combustion of which will release 0.2 Gcal of heat and up to 200 kWh of electricity, Smotritsky describes the economics of processing. - Another 1-2 thousand rubles. the sale of 200 kg of dry fertilizers can bring.” The WiseSoil complex has already been successfully tested at the BGU in Orenburg and is now preparing for test tests at a 1 MW installation in Brno by the German company AgriKomp. “This company has built more than 800 biogas plants in Europe since 2000,” says Smotritsky. “If WiseSoil’s tests at their station in Brno are successful, then they are ready to become consumers of our technology.” In the meantime, Bioenergy has attracted seed investments from RVC in the amount of 20 million rubles in exchange for a share in the company’s capital and is looking for an investor who is willing to invest another $2 million in the construction of a biogas plant using WiseSoil technology in Russia.

Company: LLC Small Innovative Enterprise Kera-Tech
Field of activity: production of protein additives in feed

Founders: Anna Linnik (60%), Kemerovo Technological Institute of Food Industry (40%)

Market size: 18 million tons

Revenue in 2013: RUB 808.4 million

Investments: 4.5 million rubles.

In 2009, as a student, Anna Linnik was working at the Research and Educational Center at the Kemerovo Technological Institute of Food Industry when a local poultry farm approached them with a request to test a new extrusion apparatus (high-temperature processing of waste from poultry slaughter into feed). The resulting additive was quite expensive, and Linnik had the idea to create a similar product - cheaper - using biotechnology. Linnik wrote a thesis about this and registered the Kera-Tech trademark.

With the help of a biological product invented by Linnik, organic waste from poultry farming (feathers, beaks, bird paws) is converted into a protein additive for feed. Typically, poultry farms purchase protein additives for feed separately (a ton of protein on the market costs 16 thousand rubles), but with the Kera-Tech drug they can almost completely switch to domestic production. “1 kg of biological product allows you to process 1 ton of waste into 890 kg of feed protein,” Linnik told RBC. The cost of the biological product is only 55-65 rubles. per 1 kg and allows you to reduce the cost of poultry feed by 18%. Every year, Russian factories generate 18 million tons of waste.

According to Linnik, the development of the idea is now at the stage of certification and preparation of a package of documents for the construction of an enterprise and the release of a trial industrial batch of the drug. Kerra-Tech received money for all this from grants and awards. In particular, within the framework of the federal target program “Scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel of innovative Russia for 2009-2013,” Kera-Tech received 2.5 million rubles, and in 2013 the company received the Zvorykin Prize in the amount of 1 million rubles. “We estimate the volume of the Russian market at $2.5 billion per year,” says Linnik.

Company: LLC "Research Institute of Ecology and Rational Use of Natural Resources"

Field of activity: processing of oil and drilling waste

Founders: Yulia Deneko

Market size: 1 million cubic meters m

Revenue in 2013: RUB 808.3 million

Investments: 4.5 million rubles.

While studying at the Faculty of Ecology and Geography of Tyumen State University, Yulia Deneko was actively engaged in scientific and research research together with her father Viktor Ryadinsky. While surveying oil fields, they discovered that mining companies do almost nothing with drilling and oil waste. They are simply placed in special pools. Father and daughter created a company, which in 2005 was the first in the Tyumen region to begin processing oil and drilling waste. Earned from research work 4.5 million rubles. they invested in the purchase of the first truck and excavator.

In 2005-2013, NII EiRIPR LLC processed more than 1 million cubic meters. m of drilling waste, including about 250 thousand cubic meters. m in 2013. During processing, artificial soils are made from them, which are characterized by increased strength, and therefore can be used as foundations in the construction of highways. “Currently, more than 8 million cubic meters have been accumulated in the Tyumen region. m of oil and drilling waste, another 1 million cubic meters are added annually. m,” Yulia Deneko tells RBC. Average cost of processing 1 cubic meter m of oil waste at NII EiRIPR LLC is 3,500 rubles, and the potential market volume is about 4 billion rubles. in year.