Day 5: Make money offering roadside trash pickup service for towns & cities

💼 How to Start a Roadside Trash Pickup Business (Yes, You Can Get Paid to Do This)

Ever drive past a stretch of road covered in trash and think, “Why doesn’t someone clean this up?”

Here’s the twist: you could be that someone – and you could get paid for it.

This isn’t a government job or a volunteer gig. This is a real, overlooked business opportunity that – until recently – didn’t even exist in my own town. And in this post, I’m breaking down how it works, how much you can earn, and how to launch your own roadside trash pickup service in less than a week.

🧹 What Is a Roadside Trash Pickup Business?

At its core, this is a simple service-based business: You get hired to clean up litter along roads, sidewalks, neighborhoods, parking lots, or open public spaces.

Your clients?

They’re not random people – they’re cities, HOAs, counties, local event organizers, and property managers. These groups need to keep their areas clean, but they either don’t have the resources, the staff, or the time to get it done consistently.

You’re offering a visible, much-needed service in a space where most people assume volunteers or public workers handle everything. But the reality is, there’s a gap! And that gap is a business.

🏢 Who Hires You – and Why?

Most people never realize there’s money to be made here, because cleanup is usually associated with community service. But in between those once-a-year volunteer cleanups, trash still piles up – and someone has to deal with it.

Here’s who might hire you and what they’re dealing with:

Cities and counties: Short-staffed public works departments that can’t keep up
Homeowners Associations (HOAs): Need clean curbs, sidewalks, and parks
Event planners: Parades, car shows, farmers markets, etc.
Property managers: Retail plazas, vacant lots, rental communities
Small business districts: They want clean roads but don’t want to rely on city workers

If you present yourself as a reliable, affordable option, you become the go-to person for regular maintenance or on-call cleanup.

💰 How Much Can You Make?

This business is low-cost to start, but the earning potential is solid, especially as you build recurring contracts.

Sample pricing:

Weekly roadside cleanup (½-mile): $200–$300
Monthly neighborhood contract: $750–$1,200
Post-event cleanup: $300–$600
On-call litter pickup: $150–$250 flat

Example:

Land 4 small weekly contracts at $250 each = $1,000/week = $4,000/month

Add just 2 weekend event cleanups at $400 = +$800/month

This can be a part-time gig or a full-time service business – it scales based on your time and hustle.

🛠️ How to Get Started in 7 Simple Steps

You don’t need special licenses, fancy equipment, or a background in sanitation. Just follow this process:

Buy Basic Gear: High-vis vest, trash grabbers, gloves, heavy-duty bags.
Name Your Business: Register a simple LLC (or start as a sole prop).
Create a Flyer or Website: Keep it simple. What you offer, why it’s needed, how to contact you.
Pitch Local Clients: Call or email your city’s public works department, HOAs, or property managers.
Offer a Free Trial Cleanup: Do one stretch, take before-and-after pics, and use those to build trust.
Post to Local Groups: Facebook, Nextdoor, or local business forums.
Document Everything: Track your hours, mileage, results – this helps with pricing, pitching, and scaling.

🚀 Ways to Grow & Expand

Add services like power washing, weed removal, or sign cleaning
Subcontract or hire help and build a route-based model
Offer branded cleanup with local business sponsors
Pitch long-term contracts to towns, districts, or government agencies

❓ Common Questions & Objections

“Do I need experience?”
Nope. Just a strong work ethic and attention to detail.

“Is this dangerous or gross?”
If you’re working near roads, you need to use safety gear. Most cleanup is basic litter – wrappers, cups, bottles – not biohazard material.

“Do I need a truck?”
It helps, but you can start with a car and bags. You can even rent a small trailer as needed.

📥 Want the Free Business Plan?

I’ve put everything into a free downloadable business plan to help you get started. It includes:

Startup checklist
Sample pricing sheet
Client pitch script
Service flyer template
Ways to grow your income

Enter your email to get instant access to the business plan plus future tools, templates, and updates I release for free.

🧠 Final Thoughts

Most people will keep driving by the problem. You? You can turn that problem into your next paycheck.

This is one of those overlooked, boots-on-the-ground business ideas that can make real money – and make your community better in the process.

Ready to give it a shot? Download the plan, make a few calls, and see what happens.