What Are the Requirements for Building a Waste Recycling Plant?

The recycling movement that's been going on since the 1960s has greatly increased the amount of waste material recycled in America. Waste recycling is, in fact, its own industry throughout the world. The requirements for building a waste recycling plant may vary from one place to another but there are some basics that all prospective business owners should have in mind.

Land

• One of the main requirements for building a waste recycling plant is land. The land needs to be zoned for the proper use because you can't just buy farmland or a lot in the middle of a city and build a plant on it. You have to have the proper paperwork. The best way to find out the specific paperwork you will need is to talk to your local zoning commission and Better Business Bureau.

Licensing

• All businesses have to be licensed by the local government. This means that you need to put together your business plan then explain to your local licensing commission or board exactly the type of waste recycling operation you want to open. Additionally, the more types of waste you want to recycle, the more complicated the process becomes. Recycling only paper is simple but recycling paper, glass, plastic and metal requires a number of different machines and it requires you to have a lot of waste on your premises at any given time. Once the licensing body is satisfied though, you can get the proper business license for your recycling plant.

Machinery

• Recycling waste material requires a lot of machinery to process the garbage back into a usable stock. The machinery also has to be able to handle every type of waste that you intend to recycle. The machines will need to be tested and certified --much like an elevator or other sort of industrial machine would be--before your business can get up and running. Regular checks from the government to make sure that your recycling plant machinery continues to run smoothly will also be common, since certifications must be updated.