Currently making 18k a month from waste removal business. Want to move up the ladder, Need advice!

A K

Free Member
Aug 16, 2017
16
3
So me and my partner have been running a waste collection and are currently making £15-18k net each month. We have both been thinking of opening a tip site, whereas now we just pay to dump at other peoples tip sites. But what is their business model.

Do they send most of their waste to the landfill? Or do they split the materials and then send it where appropriate. If they split the material what goes where?

Anyone with experience in the industry I would be grateful if you can give some info so I can make a business plan and see if the maths work.

Thanks!
 

MBE2017

Free Member
  • Feb 16, 2017
    4,739
    1
    2,423
    I’m sure someone will suggest you make a “rubbish” business plan.

    Seriously though, if you are doing so well, why not stick at what you are doing so well, duplicate, expand etc. Going into unknown territory could be costly. Cannot help on the business model, someone else will I’m sure.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Ryan Paul
    Upvote 0
    D

    Darren_Ssc

    I know two people who did similar, in both instances they bought land with suitable space. One was an old railway yard, one was a farmhouse and, again, in both instances they lived on site (yuk)! Both did quite well.

    The difference nowadays is the legislation involved in keeping all materials separate and having to dispose of or recycle stuff in different ways, which is why you are probably better off sticking to paying someone else to do the dirty work (pun intended), for now at least.
     
    Upvote 0

    AllUpHere

    Free Member
  • Business Listing
    Jun 30, 2014
    4,074
    1,684
    Being a waste carrier is a fairly easy and straightforward business to run. Once you get into wanting to be a waste transfer station or even a landfill site it gets much more difficult. It's something you should only really do if you love bureaucracy and paperwork ( a penchant for jumping through environment agency hoops is also desirable).

    Personally, I'd take the money you are making from waste and put it into something that will be easier / require less work.
     
    Upvote 0

    Paul Norman

    Free Member
    Apr 8, 2010
    4,102
    1,538
    Torrevieja
    We provide software to the waste and recycling industry.

    As a general rule, the money seems to be in the collections, and in the recycling, rather than the tips. But as with everything, there is money to be made if you do it well, keep the processes slick, and don't get fined for non compliance by the environment agency.

    I am not convinced this move would be the right one from where you are, though.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Ryan Paul
    Upvote 0

    WaveJumper

    Free Member
  • Business Listing
    Aug 26, 2013
    6,620
    2
    2,396
    Essex
    I’m sure someone will suggest you make a “rubbish” business plan.

    Seriously though, if you are doing so well, why not stick at what you are doing so well, duplicate, expand etc. Going into unknown territory could be costly. Cannot help on the business model, someone else will I’m sure.
    And then we can all 'trash it' ............. sorry could not resist
     
    Upvote 0

    WaveJumper

    Free Member
  • Business Listing
    Aug 26, 2013
    6,620
    2
    2,396
    Essex
    As Paul said above and in my experience the money has been in the contracts companies had with us for collections. Over the years I have had many a tour of recycling collection sites where a lot of investment has been put into sorting and recycling waste streams and the one thing I picked up from this was the various elements from the sorting ie plastic, batteries, cardboard etc etc the prices fluctuated widely on the open market and sometimes the centre would store and hold these items until the price recovered, hence you may require a lot more space than you think if you go down this route.

    Worth looking at skip hire not just the small skips you see in peoples front gardens but the larger industrial type, and even compactors if your finances can stretch that far.
     
    Upvote 0

    UKSBD

    Moderator
  • Dec 30, 2005
    13,026
    1
    2,828
    I used to work on the building just doing small 4 or 5 house developments most of the time

    One of the 1st jobs was get diggers in and scrape all the topsoil off and pile in corner of site.

    Next job was dig a big whole for putting all the site rubbish in.

    Hate to think what some people have got buried in their gardens.

    Doubt they would get away with it so much today
     
    Upvote 0

    BusterBloodvessel

    Free Member
  • Jan 22, 2018
    893
    1
    587
    I used to work on the building just doing small 4 or 5 house developments most of the time

    One of the 1st jobs was get diggers in and scrape all the topsoil off and pile in corner of site.

    Next job was dig a big whole for putting all the site rubbish in.

    Hate to think what some people have got buried in their gardens.

    Doubt they would get away with it so much today

    My dads house is on a development built in the late 80’s - it has a large side garden that inexplicably is a huge turfed over mound. It rises to getting on the second story of the house then tails off again to the pavement on the other side. The rumour is that it’s exactly that - a huge pile where they buried a load of site rubble then just topsoiled and turfed over - always wondered if it was true?!
     
    Upvote 0

    Latest Articles

    Join UK Business Forums for free business advice