Recycling is finally becoming financially viable.

There is still a stigma surrounding recycling in many metro areas around the US. This is changing quickly, however. Pew Research data shows that Americans are becoming more concerned with the environment, and that recycling is actually a great business. Companies that are still trying to break the stigma around recycling are likely at a turning point.

Kansas City’s GlassBandit has told reporters that they can see attitudes around recycling changing, and it’s doing great things for their business. The company deals exclusively with glass recycling, so this is very good news for them indeed. GlassBandit was launched five years ago, and is one of several locally-owned pickup services that have launched in Kansas City recently. The company’s owner has noticed a “snowball” effect. As more and more people see his employees going around and collecting recyclable glass, and see how cheap and easy it is, they decide to sign up, and his business just keeps growing.

The glass collected by GlassBandit goes to a recycling center where the glass is recycled into more glass bottles, or fiberglass insulation. In the end, everyone wins, including the homeowners, the recycling companies, the environment, and the broader local economy.