Two economic factors limit the amount of recycling that can be done.  First, recyclable materials must be collected, and the costs of doing so are often high.  Second, the market for goods created from recycled materials is limited, and is further diminished by the often high cost of these goods.

A Recycling Facility.

A generally high level of public support for recycling makes it somewhat more possible.  Many people are willing to sort out waste before it is collected, but in some cases, they do not have the skills required to separate various types of chemicals, for example. 

One method of solving that problem is to hire people capable of properly sorting recyclable goods to work with the recycling collectors.

The degree of recycling determines the cost.  Being able to recycle some basic materials may be simple and cheap, but if people must be hired to sort recyclable goods, the costs get much higher very quickly.  In any case, recycling collectors must be hired, and some capital must be allocated for providing the resources, such as recycling bins, that make recycling possible.

Despite the costs of recycling, there are also economic benefits.

First, the government's costs in paying for a landfill are significantly lowered if there is less garbage to store.  These savings can be substantial, but are insufficient to cover the costs of recycling.

Second, the value of the goods that are recycled instead of being thrown away must be taken into account.  Studies, such as one conducted by Environmental Resources Ltd. in 1992, have shown that this benefit too does not cover its costs.

In fact, in spite of these two economic benefits, recycling is still generally economically unprofitable.  However, the value of saving the environment, which is very difficult to quantify exactly, must not be forgotten and included in any decision regarding recycling.