How to Recycle Cable Reels

Most spools are made of wood or plastic.

When buying large amounts of cables, they usually come rolled on spools or reels so you can easily remove the cable as needed. The spools are provided with the cable when purchased. Oftentimes, the same companies that make the cables offer to recycle the spools when you are finished with them. You can also recycle the spools by taking them to recycling plants and giving them to the correct personnel.

Things You'll Need

• Car
• Phone
• Internet connection

Instructions

1. Search the Internet for local companies that sell wire cables or offer recycling services. A Google, Yahoo! or Bing search with keywords including your city or county followed by "recycle cable spools" or "recycle cable reels" will come up with companies in your area that recycle reels. Leave out the city if you want to find larger corporations in your region.

2. Look at your local power provider's website. Many power providers use cable spools and recycle them as well.

3. Find a company through your Internet search that you like and would want to donate your reels to.

4. Contact the company you've chosen through the contact information given on the website. Many companies have programs in place to pick up your reels and ship them to their plants or you can drop them off yourself. These companies may have minimum requirements for the amount of reels before they will pick them up for you.

5. Wait for the company you've contacted if they are picking the reels up, and follow their instructions.

6. Drop the reels off yourself by loading them onto a truck. Use a forklift if they are heavy to avoid injury. Transport the reels to the recycling company and go the designated area for reel drop off. The recycling company will unload the reels.

Tips & Warnings

• Companies that sell cables on reels often recycle those reels and even pay you for them. Many times, they come and pick it up as well.

• Recycling companies may require a minimum number of reels to come and pick them up. Reels are generally held for one to three months until the minimums are met.

References

• DWC: DWC Reel Recycle Program
• Dexknows: Reels N Spools
• Sonoco: Sonoco's Wire and Cable Reel Recycling Service Saves Trees, Cuts Costs for Nation's Electric Utilities
• Dexknows: Travis County, TX Recycling: Electronics Recycling
• Austin Energy's Posterous: Recycling Power Equipment for Sale & Reuse Helps Bottom Line

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish