Most councils come to the road side to recycle our rubbish but did you know that you can actually make money recycling some of your old stuff?
I think pretty much everyone recycles something nowadays. Most local authorities come to the road side to collect paper, cardboard, tins, glass and garden waste with the aim to reduce the amount of litter we send to the dump and, ultimately, saving the planet, one sheet of paper at at time!!
But have you ever thought about how you can make money recycling your old stuff? Well you can!
Make Money Recycling Cans
Although your council may pick up your cans at the road side, you could keep hold of your aluminium cans and recycle them yourself for cash!
A lot charities and schools do it, but there is no reason you couldn’t do it yourself. They pay out between 45p – 60p for each kilo of cans (a kilo is usually 65 -70 cans), so it may take a while to hit the big bucks!
There are about 300 Cash for Cans centres around the UK so it could be an option for you.
Make Money Recycling Clothes
When looking through your wardrobe you notice that the pair of leather trousers you wore in the 80s are never going to be in fashion again…..it may be time for a clear out!
If you’ve got no more room for clothes, or maybe the kids have grown out of theirs, there are companies who will buy your old clothes, shoes and linen.
You can drop them off (a lot of companies will come to your house to pick them up too) and you could be earning 50p kilo!
If you want to just send your clothes away, Music Magpie will buy your clothes now too.
Make Money Recycling Ink Cartridges
You could earn up to £1 for each empty ink cartridge you sell on. Instead of putting them in the free recycle bins in supermarkets, hold onto them and send them off for cash.
Have a look at the following places where you could earn some money:
Make Money Recycling Compost
Recycle your food waste and turn it into compost. Not only will you free up rubbish going to the dump but you won’t not need to buy expensive fertiliser again!
While you are saving yourself money, why not see if you could sell some to your friend and neighbours too?!
Make Money Recycling Hair
After you’ve got your hair cut, consider selling your strands on. You’ll need to have a good length to sell but you could make a little bit of cash. The hair will be recycled to make wigs.
As an indication of costs Hair Harvest say on their site that you could make:
£15 – £60 for 10-12 inches
£30 – £80 for 13-15 inches
£50 – £150 for 16-18 inches
£60 – £200 for 19 inches and above.
Make Money Recycling Mobile Phones
When you upgrade does your old phone just sit in the bottom of a drawer? What a waste! As part of an upgrade some companies allow you to cash in the phone as a deposit, making your new contract cheaper.
If you didn’t get the chance to do that, and you’ve finished with it, you could easily sell it on by putting it on eBay or selling it on as refurbished. It’s better to do it while it’s newer as you’ll be likely to make more money.
Have a look at Phone Recycles, Cex or Envirofone if you’re looking to sell your phone.
Make Money Recycling Wine Corks
If you like a glass of vino or two, don’t throw away the corks but sell them on instead. They are a prime wedding must have as brides seem to love having them as place holders on tables.
Ebay is awash with bulk buys of these little things so why not sell your own, instead of putting them in the bin.
What else have you recycled to make a bit of extra money?
Ricky Willis is the original Skint Dad. A money-making enthusiast, father, and husband to Naomi. He is always looking for unique ways to earn a little extra.
I suppose it comes down to if you could really could do with the money and have the time.
To be fair if you need the money you have the time to do this so there’s no excuses, cause if you don’t have money you can’t go out, you can use the last of your money to do a worth while project to generate an income.
It’s more to add a few quid, on top of other things you could be doing.