How do you calculate recovered commodity value?

Multiply inbound tons by market price and recovery yield, then add any fixed rebate. With 120 tons at $320/ton and 85% yield, the variable value is $32,640 and total value is $32,640 with no rebate.

What is recovery yield in an MRF?

It's the share of target material in the inbound stream that you actually capture as marketable product, after losses to residue and cross-contamination. An 85% yield means 15% of the target tonnage is lost.

What is recovered value per ton?

It's total recovered value divided by inbound tons of the target stream. In the example, $32,640 over 120 tons is $272 per ton — below the $320 market price because yield is 85%, not 100%.

How does a yield improvement affect revenue?

Revenue scales directly with yield, so lifting capture from 85% to 90% on this stream adds about 5.9% to commodity value. At high tonnage and price, that gain funds equipment quickly.

Why include a broker rebate or premium?

Some contracts pay a quality premium for low-contamination bales or a flat rebate per load. The fixed term lets you layer that on top of the per-ton math; it's zero by default.

Does this account for processing cost?

No — it's a gross revenue figure for the target stream. Subtract your labor, energy, and residue disposal cost separately to get net margin.

Municipal Waste Sorting Equipment calculator

Recovered Commodity Value Calculator

The economics of a material recovery facility come down to how many marketable tons you pull from the inbound stream and what the market pays for them. This calculator multiplies inbound tonnage, commodity price, and recovery yield to estimate revenue, then adds any fixed broker rebate or quality premium. Plant managers and commercial teams use it to forecast monthly commodity revenue and to model the payback on equipment that lifts yield. Small yield gains compound fast when prices and volumes are high.

What this calculator does

Estimate the gross commodity revenue from recovered material using inbound tons, commodity price, and the actual recovery yield for the stream.
Use it when modeling the commodity revenue from a new line, comparing PET, HDPE, OCC, or aluminum scenarios, or sizing the upside from a recovery improvement project.
It computes total recovered commodity revenue from inbound tons, market price, and recovery yield, plus a fixed broker adjustment.

Formula used

Variable recovered commodity value = inbound tons x commodity market price x recovery yield
Total recovered commodity value = variable recovered commodity value + fixed broker rebate or premium

Inputs explained

Inbound tons of target stream:
Commodity market price:
Recovery yield:
Fixed broker rebate or premium:

How to use the result

Use it when forecasting commodity revenue for a stream or building the business case for a yield-improving upgrade.
It uses a single spot price and yield; real revenue moves with bale quality penalties, moisture, and contamination deductions the broker applies at the dock.

Current U.S. benchmarks

Steel mill PPI stands at 348.53 (BLS, May 2026), up 6.7% from a year earlier. New factory orders are up 2.3% year over year (Census).

Common questions

How do you calculate recovered commodity value? Multiply inbound tons by market price and recovery yield, then add any fixed rebate. With 120 tons at $320/ton and 85% yield, the variable value is $32,640 and total value is $32,640 with no rebate.
What is recovery yield in an MRF? It's the share of target material in the inbound stream that you actually capture as marketable product, after losses to residue and cross-contamination. An 85% yield means 15% of the target tonnage is lost.
What is recovered value per ton? It's total recovered value divided by inbound tons of the target stream. In the example, $32,640 over 120 tons is $272 per ton — below the $320 market price because yield is 85%, not 100%.
How does a yield improvement affect revenue? Revenue scales directly with yield, so lifting capture from 85% to 90% on this stream adds about 5.9% to commodity value. At high tonnage and price, that gain funds equipment quickly.
Why include a broker rebate or premium? Some contracts pay a quality premium for low-contamination bales or a flat rebate per load. The fixed term lets you layer that on top of the per-ton math; it's zero by default.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.