How to Properly Dispose Concrete
Before embarking on your construction project, it’s vital you ponder on the disposal of trash that emanates from typical construction work. Because you are a responsible citizen, you just can’t leave trash unattended.
During and after construction, concrete and asphalt are the most common and tricky trash you are likely to encounter. And because of their weight and unwieldy manner, construction debris might give you a headache or two when disposing them. However, the good thing is that there are numerous ways you can dispose of concrete. Let’s look at some of them.
Rent a bin
Perhaps, this is the quickest and most affordable method of dumping concrete, asphalt, and any other construction debris. You simply rent a roll-off dumpster, load it up with trash during construction, and call back the renting company to get rid of it on the pre-agreed date.
But how much load can a dumpster handle? Dumpsters’ weight and size limits mostly depend on your locality. However, typical dumpsters can handle materials between three to twelve pickup trucks, managing most construction sites’ trash requirements.
Hire a trash removal company
There are rubbish collection companies out there that can handle the concrete disposal for you. They simply send a team to your site, upon which they determine the disposal price. Once the price is agreed upon, they load the trash in their vehicle and haul it away.
Try to sell it
Some contractors and DIYers are often looking for materials to recycle to get some savings on their projects. With this in mind, you can try to sell your old concrete online through social media pages like Facebook or through referrals from your family and friends. You can also consider classified ads to post your advert.
With this option, you might consider transporting the debris to the buyer for free. Otherwise, count yourself lucky if the interested buyer comes to pick it from your site.
Leave a “For Free” ad
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of finding a buyer or disposing of the trash yourself, you could leave a sign at the trash site indicating anyone can pick the concrete for free. This option is even more ideal if your site is near a roadway as it makes it more visible to the road users.
However, before exploring this option, ensure that your neighborhood allows you to leave debris outside your curb. You don’t want to create bad blood with your neighbors in the name of giving out the trash for free.
Additionally, you can check out with landscaping companies that might want to recycle concrete. With the increasing outcry for a green economy, landscapers might want to recycle the concrete and use it for hardscaping, building walls, and any other imaginable use.
Also, companies supplying building materials might consider your old concrete for free. The con with this option is that you might have to haul the trash to their site at your own cost.
DIY
Sometimes, you can decide to roll up your sleeves and take matters into your hands. But how? If you have a pickup truck, you can load it up and haul the concrete to the nearest landfill or transfer station. And if lucky, some locations set days when residents can dump the landfills for free. DIY is cheap and provides the flexibility of working at your own pace.
Pro tip: Before heading towards the landfill with your trash, contact the transfer station to establish whether they will accept your trash. This prior inquisition saves your time and fuel.
Due to its weight, concrete disposal can be challenging. It’s time consuming, taking away the time one should be focusing on the construction work itself. Thankfully, there are several options you can consider to make sure that your construction site is debris-free. You just need to factor the cost, size, and weight of your debris to select the most optimal choice.