What makes your drum recycling process sustainable?

Our process prioritizes drum reuse and reconditioning before material recycling. Specialized facilities clean, repair, and re-certify drums to extend their life, reducing energy use and landfill waste.

How are steel drums recycled?

Steel drums are inspected, cleaned, straightened, and leak tested for reuse. When reuse is not possible, the steel is melted and repurposed into new industrial products. This reduces environmental impact and supports resource conservation.

How are plastic drums recycled?

Plastic drums undergo washing, rinsing, drying, inspection, and leak testing. If they cannot be reused, they are shredded and converted into regranulate for new product manufacturing.

Do you handle hazardous waste drums?

Yes. Our trained professionals ensure drums that contained hazardous materials meet regulatory standards before recycling. We follow RCRA empty criteria and federal regulations to ensure safe handling and compliance.

Do you provide documentation for environmental reporting?

Yes. We provide reporting tools that support audits, environmental disclosures, and compliance documentation. Contact our team (https://www.kellydrums.com/contact)to align recycling services with your reporting requirements.

Sustainable Drum Recycling and Eco‑Focused Practices

At Patrick J. Kelly Drums, sustainable drum recycling is central to how we operate. Extending the life of steel drums, plastic drums, and fiber drums reduces environmental impact while supporting responsible industrial operations. Manufacturing a new steel drum generates significantly more CO2 and landfill waste than reconditioning an existing container. Reconditioning requires far less energy and conserves valuable natural resources across the recycling industry.

Industrial drum recycling is inherently environmentally friendly, but our commitment goes further. Through structured cleaning, inspection, and reconditioning and recycling systems, we help customers reduce landfill contributions while maintaining compliance and safety.

Environmental Impact: Why Reconditioning Matters

Manufacturing a new steel drum generates substantially more emissions and landfill waste than restoring one already in circulation. By prioritizing drum reconditioning and reuse, we reduce energy consumption and limit strain on raw materials.

Steel is the world’s most recycled product, with more steel recovered annually than all other materials combined. Recycled steel remains just as durable as newly sourced steel, making steel drum recycling a sustainable choice for industries that require strength without environmental compromise.

Used drums often contain residual oils, solvents, or other materials that can trigger environmental concerns. Our process ensures those containers are handled safely, inspected, cleaned, and either restored for reuse or responsibly processed into recycled steel or other reusable raw materials.

Sustainable Drum Recycling in Action

Our sustainability efforts include multiple independent processes that minimize environmental impact:

Unusable steel drums are crushed and sent for scrap recovery, supporting steel drum recycling.
Plastic drums and tote inner tanks are shredded and sold into plastic pipe manufacturing, advancing plastic drum recycling.
Tote cages are shredded and recycled through local partners.
Over 5 million pounds of recycled plastic were sold in 2022.
More than 6 million pounds of plastic are reconditioned annually that would otherwise enter a landfill.
Approximately 10 million pounds of steel are reconditioned or recycled each year.

These numbers reflect more than operational efficiency. They demonstrate a long‑term investment in green industrial packaging and environmental responsibility.

Eco Friendly Drum Disposal and Proper Handling

Eco friendly drum disposal requires more than recycling. It requires compliance with federal regulations and proper disposal protocols. Drums must be properly emptied according to regulatory standards and may require triple rinsing if they previously contained hazardous materials. Containers must meet specific “RCRA empty” criteria before qualifying for standard recycling.

Our trained professionals ensure drums are handled safely throughout pickup, transportation, cleaning, and storage. We coordinate directly with clients to schedule collection around production cycles, minimizing disruption while maintaining regulatory compliance.

All waste generated during reconditioning and recycling operations is properly contained and shipped offsite using trusted environmental partners. This ensures that hazardous waste and sensitive materials are managed responsibly and in full compliance with applicable regulations.

Steel, Plastic, and Fiber Drum Recycling Services

We offer comprehensive drum recycling services across multiple container types.

Steel Drum Recycling

Steel drum recycling recovers valuable metal resources while preventing steel containers from entering landfills. Reconditioned steel drums are inspected, cleaned, and tested to ensure durability and compliance before returning to service.

Plastic Drum Recycling

Plastic drum recycling allows durable containers to be repurposed into new products, reducing demand for virgin resin. Plastic materials are shredded, processed, and reintroduced into manufacturing supply chains.

Fiber Drum Recycling

Fiber drums are evaluated for reuse whenever possible. When reuse is not feasible, materials are responsibly processed to minimize environmental impact and support sustainable container solutions.

Through drum reconditioning and recycling, we help businesses reduce costs, protect natural resources, and meet sustainability goals without sacrificing safety or performance.

Explore IBC Tote and Drum Recycling Services

Supporting Environmentally Responsible Packaging

Sustainable drum recycling supports environmentally responsible packaging strategies across industries managing large quantities of containers. As demand increases for green industrial packaging, organizations are seeking partners that deliver measurable environmental benefits without disrupting operations.

Through drum reuse and reconditioning, we extend container life, conserve energy, and reduce pollution. Our reporting tools provide clients with valuable documentation for audits and environmental disclosures, helping strengthen ESG reporting and compliance transparency.

Our commitment to environmental responsibility is not theoretical. It is built into our facilities, our cleaning systems, our transportation coordination, and every drum we handle.

Frequently Asked Questions