My name is Chris, I am new here. I have been pondering about ways to make money off from our recyclables. I am not talking about the standard bottle returns- shoot, I live in Michigan. The deposit return here is the best in the United States! I am not talking about returning plastic or paper bags to the grocery stores, or anything like that. What I am talking about is a program devised to actually make regular people to make money off from their recyclables, and help our economy.

I recycle, I do my part, and I do it out of heart. I am going to say the dark truth, in light, of most peoples way of thinking when it comes to recycling. They would say-

"All these recyclables that you expect me to save. It takes time, space and then I have to drive to the location to recycle, and that takes money. I am a busy person with a busy schedule. So whats in it for me?"

That is how most people feel about helping their environment. The truth is, most people have the mindset of "Money talks, and bullshit walks!" So how do we make a program, or business, where everyone can get a cut of the junk, from the wealthy millionaire, to the citizen, small business owner and even the homeless man?

I am well aware of the research necessary to find means of doing this, but more or less, I am looking for people to help me find where to research. Sometimes, Googling your searches is fine and all, but there is specific information that I am looking for, and the information from searches often leads me still with questions unanswered. I am going to start finding out how the recycling companies do it through Q.A. here locally. I feel though that I am going to encounter problems, with certain entities unwilling to give away any trade secrets. I read an online article once, about a woman that took other peoples junk that they throw out, and turned herself into a millionaire! So why are regular people like us, who do this out of the will to do the right thing, are just not getting anything out of this?

I have some ideas to make this work, but I still know little about how the whole process is done. I do know that China sells recycling machines. There is still aspects that are unanswered to me, like to the manufacturing of things like plastic cups, tin cans, ect. By logic and just basic common sense, here is the phases I surmise recycling goes through, but for the most part, I am only making assumptions-

Phase 1- People donate their recyclables

Phase 2- Recycling plants collect and process recyclables

Phase 3- Recycling plants melt it down to material for wholesale?

Phase 4- Recycled material is shipped to manufacturer?

Phase 5- Manufacturing plant processes recycled material into product?

Phase 6- Recycled product is sold in the public markets.

OK, I am not sure if that is exactly how it is done, but there are people out there making millions on the efforts of our hearts, while we suffer in an economic crisis. So I ask this- why are we not finding away to make recycling worth our wallet?

President Barack Obama says he has a green heart. He has already proposed using tax dollars to create more jobs for Americans building and running more power plants using greener sources of power- hydro, solar, wind, ect. You see, that alone shows us that there is an economy in environmentalism. Then, these people running these recycling plants are making a fortune. So how can we benefit?

1. Give us money for our recyclables.

2. Someone has to do the job! Jobs are created.

3. We help the environment of coarse, for our future generations.

4. We provide ourselves with an extra income.

5. Reduce landfills.

6. The homeless can help us keep our cities clean, turn in their recycled goods, and maybe make themselves money to eat with.

7. Peoples motivation would keep a circle of business going. A recycled business!

My part time job is line cook. I work for a restaurant so I know how much plastic, tin, ect. is thrown away on a daily basis that just goes to our city dumps! It would make your gut wrench, it makes me sad! I used to collect the recyclables, but sometimes in one day, I would collect more than I use in a week. That is a serious burden for one person to carry, who is very busy trying to support himself. I had to stop! I couldn't do that by myself! There is so much thrown away by businesses, which are responsible for many of the items that fill our landfills. In this time, there is no incentive for these businesses to corporate in recycling. Obviously, I don't feel it is right, but I can't blame them either. They are running a business not a charity. To sort through recyclables would cost them labor. So what about an incentive to make this worth an employers time, and maybe even thier employees? Where they can have a cut of the recycled products that they throw out?

I have delved into different forms of business ideas enough to know what motivates people to make money. In this world, there are hundreds of ways! I run an eBay store, and I have also been involved with network marketing. I know what motivates people in this day and age. So is it so unfeasible, to motivate people with money, to help our economy, our environment, our future, and most importantly, ourselves?