By trade
Empty reels for electrical contractors
Building wire and feeder cable come through distributors, so an electrical shop's reel pile mixes brands, sizes and builds. Few of them qualify for one maker's truckload program, but most of them have somewhere better to go than the dumpster.
Lots of small and mid-size reels
Building wire ships on plywood reels and spools (Southwire's "E" and "G" series are plywood for building wire), and feeders on nailed reels in the 30 to 48 in range. Small plywood spools rarely qualify for take-back. Nailed feeder reels are the ones with reuse value.
Several brands per job
Programs take their own brand only, by the truckload. An electrical yard usually has a few reels from each of several makers. Sort by stencil and count each brand. Most will fall short, and that's normal.
Check the invoice for reel charges
Wooden reels are usually one-way, but steel reels and some distributor reels carry a charge. A reel charge line means the reel must go back to whoever billed it. See reel deposits explained.
Consolidate at the shop
Bring empties back from jobs to one place, stood on flange and sorted. One pickup from the shop yard beats a dozen small dumpster loads from jobsites.
Programs that usually apply
| Program | Reels accepted | Minimum | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Wire | Service Wire labelled reels only, compartmental reels included. Other manufacturers' reels are not eligible. | Full truckload of Service Wire reels. | Free |
| Southwire | Southwire reels. Steel reels carry a reel charge that is credited when the reel is returned within 12 months. Southwire's CableTech chart lists its wooden reels as non-returnable with no deposit. | Not stated. | Credit on return |
| Okonite | Okonite steel reels, identified by the reel number on the red Okonite steel reel tag. | Not stated. | Not stated |
| Sonoco EcoReel | Used wooden and polyfiber reels and spools that are viable for reuse. The page does not limit it to one cable brand. | Truckloads, from a single load to an ongoing supply. | Free |
Read next: Nailed vs plywood vs glued reels.
Questions
Will a distributor take back empty reels?
Some do, especially for reels they billed a charge on. Ask the branch that sold the cable; the invoice tells you who billed the reel.
Are small plywood spools worth anything?
Rarely, one at a time. In volume, sound ones can have a second use; broken ones are wood recycling.
Clear the rest in one pickup
Brands short of a minimum, unlabelled reels and reels that fail inspection.