By trade
Empty reels for telecom and fibre contractors
Fibre deployments empty reels everywhere at once: fibre cable at every cabinet route, HDPE duct reels on every bore, and a few copper reels on top. The programs exist, but you only reach their minimums by consolidating.
Fibre cable reels
Prysmian's Reeloop telecom service takes its own wooden reels over 40 in, for free, in the East, Midwest and South. CommScope routes its reels to vendors by type. AFL's go to Sonoco EcoReel. All want full loads.
Conduit reels
Duct often ships on metal reels the maker wants back. Blue Diamond takes its metal reels from 50 flanges, with free pickup and no credit, or your freight and a per-inch credit.
Leftover cable costs money
Prysmian may charge a fee to dispose of leftover cable, and CommScope's vendors price cable disposal separately. Pull the stubs at the yard.
One yard per region
Have crews bring empties back to one consolidation yard and sort by maker on arrival. That's how a moving build reaches 80 reels of one size.
Programs that usually apply
| Program | Reels accepted | Minimum | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prysmian | Prysmian telecom reels only. Wooden reels larger than 40 in. | 80 reels for 45 to 54 in flanges, 60 for 58 to 72 in, 40 for 78 to 84 in. | Free |
| CommScope | Reusable CommScope reels. Pickup of non-CommScope reels is a special request priced by the vendor. | A full-load quantity before you request a pickup. | Free |
| AFL | AFL reels. Other reels may be accepted if an EcoReel representative approves them. | Full truckloads only (Sonoco sends a 53 ft van or 48 ft flatbed). | Free |
| Blue Diamond Industries | Blue Diamond metal conduit reels, 48 to 120 in (96 in is the most common), assembled or taken apart. | At least 50 flanges. | Free pickup or credit |
| 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: Empty reels on fibre builds.
Questions
Does Prysmian take back reels nationwide?
Its Reeloop telecom document lists the East Coast, Midwest and South as the pickup area.
Does CommScope take other brands' reels?
Its brochure treats non-CommScope reel pickup as a special request with the vendor's own charges.
Clear the rest in one pickup
Brands short of a minimum, unlabelled reels and reels that fail inspection.