Making big money from garbage: How companies are forming international alliances to recycle trash for profit

Abstract

There is money to be made in garbage. Such is the growing consensus on the world stage, as governments, international agencies and companies pour investment capital into “green” projects. Environmental regulations are driving the industry. Two main philosophies predominate: the first focuses on waste reduction, which aims to reduce trash whether household or industrial trash; the second involves waste management, which concentrates on turning existing garbage into useful byproducts that can be sold for a profit. Environmental regulators argue that both approaches are valid and should be used in tandem to manage waste effectively. For industry, this creates two-fold opportunities for profitmaking—at the front end of the waste stream, as well as at the tail end. Internationally, German and Swiss companies are leading the vanguard of waste reduction and management, in part borne of sheer necessity: a shortage of domestic landfills. They have been forced to develop innovative approaches to trash, which, many predict may sweep the United States during the coming years.