Wood Reel Recycling Program
AFL reel return program
AFL customers get free full-truckload pickup of nailed-wood reels (30 in or larger, no plywood) through Sonoco EcoReel, mainly in the East and Midwest.
Source: AFL: Wood Reel Recycling Program and Free Pickup. Last verified .
- Run by
- Sonoco EcoReel, for AFL customers
- Reels accepted
- AFL reels. Other reels may be accepted if an EcoReel representative approves them.
- Material rules
- Nailed wood only; plywood reels are not recyclable. Flanges at least 1-1/2 in thick and at least 30 in across.
- Minimum load
- Full truckloads only (Sonoco sends a 53 ft van or 48 ft flatbed).
- Cost
- Free. Free removal for AFL customers.
- Service area
- Mainly East Coast and Midwest. Mountain and West Coast customers should ask; service there is case by case.
Condition rules
- Empty of cable, except the tie-down end piece.
- Arbor holes undamaged; drive holes not torn out.
- Sound lumber, not rotting or badly deteriorated.
- No broken flange boards (broken edge boards through one ply are acceptable); flanges not excessively warped.
- About 75% of the drum's stave boards intact.
- Center-support reels only in certain sizes, marked by a red stripe on the drum.
Reels per truck
| Flange | Maximum | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 58 in | 38 | 53 ft van nested; 28 un-nested; 26 on a 48 ft flatbed |
| 72 in (36 in drum) | 22 | 53 ft van nested; 16 un-nested; 20 on a 48 ft flatbed |
| 84 in | 20 | 53 ft van nested; 14 un-nested; 18 on a 48 ft flatbed |
How to schedule
Call or email Sonoco EcoReel. Your staff loads the truck to Sonoco's guidelines.
- Phone: 888-326-7335
- Email: EcoReel@Sonoco.com
Notes
AFL offers customer reports on reels returned, disposal cost and landfill space avoided.
Before you call
Empty every reel
Programs want empty reels. Leftover cable can cost a fee or get the reel refused.
Count the reels that qualify
Check the count against the minimum above. Yard math shows how much of a truck it fills.
Inspect against the condition rules
Set aside reels that fail. They go to a buyer or a recycler instead.
Reels AFL won't take?
Other brands, short loads, plywood and reels that fail inspection can all go in one pickup.