RecycleMatch Mixes eBay and Craigslist with Online Waste Sales

From GreenBiz.com By Jonathan Bardelline

HOUSTON, TX — RecycleMatch, an online marketplace for business-to-business waste sales, updated its web-based service this month to make getting rid of trash a mix between eBay and Craigslist.

The company, launched in late 2009, lets business list waste they want to get rid of on its site for free. Businesses can list a broad range of material they produce that would normally go to the trash, and buyers bid on the materials, with the seller choosing a winning bid.

With the expansion of its site, RecycleMatch has added more options for buyers and sellers. Companies selling waste can now see all bids at the same time. While a seller's information is kept confidential, there is also a system in place allowing bidders to ask questions about the waste for sale.

Sellers are able to list one-time waste dumps as well as ongoing wastes they create, and they can also put up trash they're willing to give away for free.

Brooke Farrell, RecycleMatch's co-founder and chief marketing office, said that some of the most common goods they've seen on the site have been plastics and textiles, and companies are using the service for various reasons.

Some are trying to stop sending waste to landfills. Recycling services can take only so many materials, and for wastes that don't fall into the general areas of commonly-recycled plastics, paper, metals and wood, companies need to find more specialized recyclers or companies that are actually looking for those kinds of waste.

Some buyers are using the site to feel out the market for materials they already have suppliers for in order to possibly get lower prices.

Along with the new features on its site, RecycleMatch has bought on a new CEO, Chris Porch, who has led multiple start-ups, including Zag.com, a new and used car marketplace.

http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2011/02/15/recyclematch-mixes-ebay-and-craigslist-online-waste-sales