Concrete Recycling for Contractors: Save Thousands per Job

If you're a contractor still paying landfill fees to dump concrete, you're leaving money on the table. Recycling clean concrete can take your disposal line item close to zero while helping you win more bids and stay ahead of waste diversion requirements.

Here's how to make concrete recycling work for your business.

The Contractor's Concrete Disposal Problem

Every demolition project produces concrete waste:

• Foundation tearouts
• Driveway removals
• Sidewalk replacements
• Building demolitions
• Site clearing

Traditional disposal costs:

• Landfill: charged by the ton, about $60 per ton at the Blount County Landfill
• Dumpster rental: weight overages crush margins
• Hauling time: crews waiting = money lost

The math is brutal:

A single commercial demolition might produce 200 tons of concrete. At about $60 per ton, that's around $12,000 in landfill fees. At SMSG, clean concrete is free.

Why Concrete Recycling Makes Business Sense

1. Direct Cost Savings

Disposal Method	Cost per Ton	100-Ton Job
Blount County Landfill	About $60	About $6,000
SMSG (clean concrete)	Free	$0
Savings	About $60/ton	About $6,000

Mixed or contaminated loads are different. Call (865) 999-0857 before you haul those. Our concrete recycling vs landfill guide runs more scenarios.

2. Faster Turnaround

• No scale at SMSG, no ticket line
• Multiple trips per day possible
• Open Monday through Friday 7 AM to 5 PM and Saturday 8 AM to noon, later than most landfills

3. Win More Bids

• Lower disposal costs = more competitive pricing
• LEED and green building projects often reward recycling (see our LEED guide)
• Government contracts increasingly favor recycled materials
• Being a "sustainable contractor" sets you apart

4. Regulatory Compliance

Many jurisdictions and project owners now ask for:

• Construction waste diversion from landfills
• Recycling percentages on permitted projects
• Documentation of disposal methods

Non-compliance risks: fines, project delays, lost future contracts.

5. Material Reuse

Some projects let you reuse recycled material on-site:

• Demo concrete becomes driveway or pad base
• Less material to buy
• Less hauling

Contractor Accounts

Drop-off at SMSG is free for clean loads, no account needed. Where an account helps is buying material and trucking:

• One invoice for RCA and delivery
• Payment terms for approved accounts
• A single contact for scheduling big jobs

See our contractor account setup guide for how to apply.

Account Best Practices

1. Designate approved drivers: who can buy on the account?
2. Set spending limits: control project budgets
3. Keep receipts: drivers hold onto load paperwork
4. Reconcile monthly: match invoices to loads
5. Track by project: assign job codes for cost allocation

What We Accept (And Reject)

Know before you load up.

Free when clean

• Concrete, with or without rebar or wire mesh
• Concrete block (CMU) and brick
• Concrete pipe and precast
• Asphalt chunks and millings
• Natural stone and rock

Call ahead

• Clean fill dirt (only with a call ahead)
• Any load you're not sure about

Not accepted

• Trash and household waste
• Wood, drywall, roofing
• Mixed C&D debris
• Hazardous material

Full details in our what we accept guide.

Contamination Consequences

• Load rejection (you haul it away)
• A wasted trip and crew hours
• Landfill disposal required (on your dime)

Clean loads save money. Train your crews.

Load Preparation Best Practices

On-Site Separation

Set up your demo site so recycling actually works:

1. Dedicated concrete pile: separate from other debris
2. No mixing: concrete only, no wood or drywall
3. Rebar: leave it in, we pull it during processing
4. Size: break oversize pieces so they load and unload cleanly
5. Dirt: knock off packed soil. Dirt mixed into concrete loads is a problem.

Loading Techniques

• Fill trucks efficiently (maximize legal payload)
• Secure loads for transport (tarps if required)
• Remove loose debris from the truck before arriving

Our how to load a truck for concrete drop-off guide goes deeper.

Documentation

Track for each load:

• Date and time
• Truck and driver
• Material type
• Destination facility
• Project charged to

Buying Recycled Material Back

Close the loop by purchasing RCA.

What We Sell

• RCA crusher run: 1" minus with fines. Compacts hard. Driveways, base, pads.
• RCA #57: clean recycled concrete, roughly 3/4" to 1", no fines. Drainage and French drains.

Common Contractor Uses

• Base material: driveways, parking lots, building pads
• Backfill: foundations, retaining walls, utilities
• Drainage: French drains, stormwater management
• Temporary roads: site access during construction

Purchasing Tips

1. Specify the product: crusher run for base, #57 for drainage
2. Coordinate delivery to minimize site congestion
3. Order early on big jobs
4. Call (865) 999-0857 for current pricing

Specs and Testing

For regulated applications, recycled concrete must meet project specifications such as state DOT road base specs or project-specific requirements. Ask about documentation for your application. SMSG is in the process of getting on the TDOT approved aggregate source list.

Training Your Crews

Recycling success comes down to field execution.

Training Topics

1. Material identification: what's recyclable vs. not
2. Separation procedures: how to keep loads clean
3. Loading and unloading: efficient techniques
4. Facility rules: speed limits, dumping procedures, safety

Common Crew Mistakes

• Mixing concrete with other debris
• Overloading trucks
• Leaving heavy dirt on the concrete
• Damaging equipment at the facility

Integrating Recycling into Project Management

Estimating

• Calculate tonnage accurately (see our concrete tearout calculator)
• Factor in hauling distance and time
• Include RCA purchase for backfill needs

Scheduling

• Schedule demo to allow on-site separation
• Coordinate haul trips with other activities
• Use Saturday morning hours for catch-up loads

Cost Tracking

• Create a disposal expense category
• Track actual vs. estimated costs
• Compare against what the landfill would have charged

Example: Mid-Size Contractor

Company: regional excavation contractor Annual concrete volume: 3,000 tons

Before recycling program:

• Disposal: 100% landfill at about $60/ton
• Annual disposal expense: about $180,000

After recycling program:

• 85% clean concrete to SMSG: free
• 15% contaminated material to landfill: about $27,000
• Annual savings: about $153,000

Your numbers will differ, but the shape holds: every clean ton you divert is about $60 you keep.

Evaluating a Recycling Facility

• Location (hauling distance matters)
• Hours of operation
• What it costs to drop off
• Material acceptance policies
• Wait times
• Quality of recycled products (if purchasing)

The Future of Construction Recycling

Trends to watch:

• Stricter regulations: more jurisdictions favoring recycling
• Higher landfill costs: disposal getting more expensive
• Carbon accounting: recycling reduces project carbon footprint
• Circular construction: closed-loop material management

Contractors who get on board now will be ahead of the curve.

Ready to start saving on concrete disposal? Bring clean loads to SMSG at 245 Brookdale Rd, Maryville, free. Call (865) 999-0857 with questions or to set up an account for RCA and trucking.