Circular Economy, Recycling & Remanufacturing worked example

Material Recovery Value at 93% saleable recovered-material share: a worked example

What does the result look like when saleable recovered-material share reaches 93%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. a team needs to decide whether a scrap stream should be separated, sold, or processed further for a material stream, batch, or shipment

The inputs for this scenario

  • Recovered material from the stream: 18,000 kg (unchanged)
  • Market value of recovered material: 0.64 $ / kg (unchanged)
  • Saleable recovered-material share: 93 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 81)
  • Fixed sorting, baling, assay, or broker cost to subtract: 2,400 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Gross saleable material value = recovered material from the stream × market value of recovered material × saleable recovered-material share) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 13,114 net material recovery value for net material recovery value, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.73 $ / piece for value per recovered kg.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 10,714 $ for gross saleable material value.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 2,400 $ for fixed sorting, baling, assay, or broker cost to subtract.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where saleable recovered-material share sits at 81% and the headline result is 11,731 net material recovery value, this scenario comes in 11.78% above the baseline at 13,114 net material recovery value.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when saleable recovered-material share is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. Market value per kg is a spot figure that moves constantly, so a value that looks positive today can flip negative when commodity prices fall.

Results at a glance

  • Net material recovery value: 13,114 net material recovery value (headline result)
  • Value per recovered kg: 0.73 $ / piece
  • Gross saleable material value: 10,714 $
  • Fixed sorting, baling, assay, or broker cost to subtract: 2,400 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Material Recovery Value calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.