Q2 Recycling Report: Industrial Recycling Impact and Progress Update
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Sustainability claims are easy to make. Specific numbers are harder to produce, and they matter more. This quarter's recycling report from Patrick J. Kelly Drums lays out exactly how much plastic, steel, and fiber moved through our facilities, and where that material ended up. In the recycling industry, sustainability data only means something when it can be traced back to actual pounds processed.
We share this data because our customers, many of whom manage their own environmental performance tracking and sustainability reporting, need accurate figures from their container partners, not general statements about being environmentally responsible. This report gives you the actual volume behind our reconditioning and recycling program for Q2.
Key Findings for the Quarter:
Patrick Kelly Drums processed 25,173,238 lbs of material in Q2 that avoided landfill disposal.
5,850,000 lbs of plastic were shredded and routed into reuse streams such as plastic pipe manufacturing.
Reconditioned IBC totes accounted for 2,370,960 lbs of plastic kept in active use.
Reconditioned drums accounted for an additional 2,586,358 lbs of plastic reuse.
Steel drum reconditioning recovered 10,965,920 lbs of steel, with roughly 3,000,000 lbs scrapped for steel recovery.
Fiber drum reconditioning contributed approximately 400,000 lbs of material diverted from landfill.
Outside of waste that cannot be reused, every container we receive leaves our facilities as either a container or recovered material.
What Goes Into This Recycling Report
Every container that arrives at our facilities is inspected before anything happens to it. If a drum or tote can be cleaned and returned to service, it is reconditioned. If it cannot be reused as a container, the material is processed for recovery instead, whether that means shredding plastic for reuse markets or scrapping steel for recycling. Material that cannot be reused or recovered is handled through our environmental partners and shipped offsite for proper processing.
That sequence is the whole recycling system in practice: inspect first, recondition when the container passes, recover the material when it does not. Pickup and collection routes across our four New Jersey and Pennsylvania facilities feed that work, and the processing infrastructure on site determines how much volume we can move back into use each quarter.
The breakdown below is organized by material type. Each figure reflects actual pounds processed during Q2, not an estimate or projection.
Plastic: Shredded, Rebottled, and Reconditioned
Plastic made up the largest share of material processed in Q2. A total of 5,850,000 lbs of plastic was shredded during the quarter. Shredded plastic from drums and IBC tote inner bottles is sold into reuse markets, including plastic pipe manufacturing, rather than sent to a landfill.
Beyond shredding, our reconditioning lines kept a substantial volume of plastic in active use rather than converting it to raw material at all:
2,370,960 lbs of plastic were preserved through reconditioned IBC totes, including new rebottled totes, where a new HDPE inner bottle is paired with a cleaned and inspected steel cage and pallet base.
2,586,358 lbs of plastic were preserved through reconditioned poly drums, both open head and tight head, depending on prior use and condition.
Reconditioning a plastic drum or tote conserves natural resources and uses considerably less energy than manufacturing a new one. It also keeps usable containers in circulation rather than converting them to raw material.
Steel: Reconditioned First, Recovered Second
Steel followed the same pattern of reuse before recovery.
10,965,920 lbs of steel were retained through drum reconditioning. Steel tight head and open head drums that pass structural and material inspection are cleaned, repaired as needed, and returned to service.
Approximately 3,000,000 lbs of steel were scrapped. Drums that cannot be safely reconditioned are crushed and processed for steel recovery rather than landfilled.
Reconditioning steel drums instead of manufacturing new ones reduces both energy use and the CO2 output associated with new drum production, and scrapping unusable steel still keeps that material out of a landfill. Lower energy use per container also means lower greenhouse gas emissions than producing that same drum new.
Fiber: A Smaller Share, Still Accounted For
Fiber drums represent a smaller but consistent portion of our container volume. In Q2, fiber drum reconditioning accounted for approximately 400,000 lbs of material diverted from landfill. Fiber drums that pass inspection are returned to service for dry goods, powders, and other non-hazardous solid materials. Keeping them in rotation holds a steady volume of material out of the solid waste stream.
Where Industrial Containers Fit in the Circular Economy
Container reuse keeps material moving through a circular economy instead of ending as waste. A reconditioned drum re-enters the same supply chain it came from, frequently serving the same kind of facility with the same kind of product, and the benefits show up in two places: lower disposal cost for the shipper and documented diversion for the environmental team.
Shredded plastic takes a different path through the value chain. It becomes feedstock for new products such as plastic pipe, which conserves resources that would otherwise go into virgin packaging materials. Both routes improve recycling outcomes for the industrial packaging our customers rely on every day.
Total Solid Waste Reduction for the Quarter
Combined across plastic, steel, and fiber, Patrick Kelly Drums processed 25,173,238 lbs of material in Q2 that avoided the landfill. That figure includes containers returned to service through reconditioning and raw material recovered through shredding or scrapping.
Outside of waste that could not be reused or recovered, every container we receive leaves our facilities as either a container or a raw material.
This is the core of our recycling report each quarter: how much material stayed in circulation, and specifically how it got there.
We publish pounds rather than a single recycling rate percentage. A rate can be calculated several different ways, and it is easy to present favorably. Pounds processed is a figure your team can check against your own shipping records.
Why This Data Matters to Our Customers
Many of the companies we work with, chemical manufacturers, food and beverage producers, logistics operations, and environmental waste teams, need specific figures like these for their own internal tracking or environmental performance reviews. A recycling report built on actual volume, rather than general claims, gives your team something concrete to reference when monitoring progress on your own sustainability goals or reporting to your own customers and leadership.
Accurate volume is critical to that work, and transparency protects credibility on both sides. Companies that report to stakeholders, customers, or executive leadership carry real risks when their numbers come from a supplier who cannot document anything. Reporting actual pounds is a form of accountability, and over time it helps build trust with the people reviewing your figures.
We do not use terms like zero waste or carbon neutral because we do not have the testing or documentation to support those specific claims. What we can document, and what this report reflects, is volume: how much plastic, steel, and fiber moved through reconditioning and recycling instead of landfill disposal.
How Patrick Kelly Drums Supports Your Reporting
If your facility needs documentation to support internal tracking or reporting, our team can help confirm the specifics of your account and how your containers were processed. This applies whether you are working with steel drums, poly drums, fiber drums, or IBC totes. Note that IBC totes are processed exclusively through our River Avenue facility in Camden, NJ, while our Howell Street facility focuses on drum recycling, reconditioning, and pickup.
Documentation is one of the practical tools we can provide for your own performance tracking, and our processes are built to keep that record accurate. We work with customers across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region, including Camden, Philadelphia, Trenton, Wilmington, and Baltimore, and we tailor container solutions to the industry and volume in front of us.
Containers must be RCRA-empty for pickup, recycling, or disposal, and material compatibility should always be reviewed before selecting a reconditioned or rebottled container for a new application.
FAQs
What is included in Patrick Kelly Drums' recycling report?
Our recycling report tracks the total pounds of plastic, steel, and fiber processed each quarter through reconditioning, shredding, or scrapping, along with how that material was routed back into reuse or recovery streams.
How much plastic did Patrick Kelly Drums recycle in Q2?
In Q2, 5,850,000 lbs of plastic were shredded for reuse streams, with an additional 2,370,960 lbs preserved through reconditioned IBC totes and 2,586,358 lbs through reconditioned drums.
How much steel was processed in Q2?
Steel drum reconditioning recovered 10,965,920 lbs of steel, and approximately 3,000,000 lbs of steel that could not be safely reconditioned was scrapped for steel recovery.
Does reconditioning really reduce environmental impact compared to new containers?
Reconditioning a used drum or tote typically uses less energy and generates less CO2 and landfill waste than manufacturing a new container. It also keeps the container inside a circular economy rather than turning it into waste. Eligible containers are inspected, cleaned, and evaluated before being returned to service.
Can this report be used for our company's sustainability reporting?
This report provides our quarterly performance data. For facility-specific documentation to support your own account or reporting, our team can help confirm the details relevant to you.
Does Patrick Kelly Drums handle IBC totes at every facility?
No. IBC tote pickup, recycling, and reconditioning are handled exclusively at our River Avenue facility in Camden, NJ. Our Howell Street facility focuses on drum services.
What to Do Next For Your Recycling System
If your operation needs a container partner who can document reconditioning, recycling, and disposal volume alongside reliable pickup, our team can walk through what that looks like for your facility. A recycling partnership works better when both sides can see the numbers, since documented volume is what turns stated commitments into real progress and helps strengthen the reporting you are already supporting internally.
Contact our team to discuss your container needs, request documentation for your own reporting, or schedule a pickup for your next batch of drums or totes.
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