Profiting from recycled belt piles

Profiting from recycled belt piles

The scrap conveyor belts that had accumulated at Jobe Materials over five to six years were anything but an asset; they became a daunting sight at a quarry located in El Paso, Texas.

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Victor Garcia, a representative of the company, shared that multiple service providers had offered to clear away the belts throughout the years, but not one followed through on their commitments—until last year. That is when EZA Recycling Solutions, a company rooted in Texas, stepped in to collect a haul of conveyor belts.

Partnering with EZA Recycling provided Jobe Materials with an unforeseen revenue stream, as the recycling company compensated them for the belts they collected.

&#;They paid us to pick up something we didn&#;t need,&#; Garcia indicates. &#;They were very prompt in their pickup, too.&#;

EZA Recycling quickly capitalizes on such opportunities because its business revolves around wholesaling recyclable materials like conveyor belts, poly pipe, metal, and used equipment. Ezekiel Setne, the founder of EZA Recycling, explains that scrap conveyor belts can be repurposed into various products such as cow mats, dock bumpers, and grain pit covers.

Traditionally, the recycling industry has overlooked scrap conveyor belts, but a shift in perspective is now occurring.

&#;When we started, no companies were purchasing rolled conveyor belts,&#; Setne reveals. &#;Today, we are witnessing an increasing number of businesses willing to pay for used, rolled-up belting.&#;

Historically, Setne comments that many scrap conveyor belts ended up buried on worksites or in landfills. However, recycling now presents an actionable alternative for managing scrap conveyor belts.

&#;Companies can roll it up, set it aside as an asset, and choose to sell it at their convenience,&#; Setne advises.

A list of benefits

It’s interesting to note that scrap conveyor belts don’t need to be in immaculate condition to be recyclable. According to Setne, belts, regardless of cleanliness, can be reused. Size presents no issue in recycling belts either; all sizes can be repurposed.

&#;We have yet to encounter a belt that we cannot recycle,&#; Setne remarks. &#;While we can’t guarantee we can recycle absolutely everything, we can assure you that we can recycle almost everything.&#;

Furthermore, Setne points out that the number of conveyor belt recyclers is relatively small.

&#;In terms of buyers for conveyor belts, very few manufacturing facilities participate in recycling these materials. However, they purchase as much conveyor belt as they can get their hands on.&#;

In one remarkable instance, Setne recounts that a customer profited a staggering $64,000 from their scrap, including conveyor belts among the recyclable items.

&#;This amount is revenue that would have gone unrecognized,&#; Setne notes. &#;That’s profit for the site—it’s not our profit.&#;

Beyond increasing revenue, businesses can also improve their job sites’ cleanliness once scrap is collected. Setne emphasizes that a clean work environment significantly enhances a company’s culture.

&#;If you enter a messy boneyard, it gives off an impression of negligence,&#; he observes. &#;Such an attitude is contagious, affecting the workers' willingness to maintain tidy job sites.&#;

Setne explains that this complacent attitude creates a cycle, eventually leading to a situation where workers cannot even access their boneyard. &#;This scenario is quite common, especially with metal recycling,&#; he reflects. Companies often end up calling for help when their haul trucks can’t get access due to scrap piling up, without the desire to widen haul paths.

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Recycling scrap conveyor belts also has environmental safety benefits.

&#;The way the conveyor belt folds and retains water, it becomes an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes,&#; he adds. &#;It also attracts rattlesnakes and other wildlife.&#;

Scrap pickups

Setne notes that companies with piles of scrap conveyor belts are usually open to the idea of unloading those for cash. Some merely desire to eliminate the scrap piles, while recyclers are happy to take away whatever companies wish to discard.

In some cases, however, companies adopt a more discerning approach regarding how they dispose of their scrap.

&#;If they want to maximize their profit, they might opt to have us pick it up incrementally,&#; Setne explains.

Whenever possible, Setne prefers on-site visits to assess the collected materials before scheduling pickups. Afterward, he assigns trucks for the transportation of materials, weighing each truck upon arrival and departure.

Customers have options regarding how involved they want to be in the recycling process.

&#;We can recycle in two ways,&#; Setne informs. &#;We have contracting capabilities, and we are fully insured and MSHA (Mine Safety & Health Administration) certified. In some setups, we may even bring our team to assist with preparation and loading. However, the more the producers manage in-house, the higher the price we can offer for their material.&#;

For instance, customers may wish to roll up conveyor belts or cut and stack poly pipe to fit them onto trucks, which can optimize their earnings.

&#;The total duration for a truck's entry and exit usually amounts to around two hours,&#; he mentions. &#;For loading, expect about 30 minutes to an hour—sometimes more if there are numerous small rolls involved. We strive to make the entire process as efficient as possible.&#

A knack for recycling

Ezekiel Setne, founder of EZA Recycling Solutions, has had an inclination toward recycling since he was around 14 years old.
&#;My interest in recycling metal began when I was 14 or 15,&#; Setne recalls. &#;Once I got my driver’s license and a truck, I’d drive around collecting metal scraps.&#;

His passion for recycling grew during his college years. Despite the financial burden of tuition, the income generated from scrapping materials supported him through those times. By the age of 20, Setne identified a potential niche in recycling services for mining operations.

&#;While in school, I learned from friends working in rock mines about specific materials they struggled to manage. They were frequently incurring costs for cleanup services.&#;

This challenge faced by mining companies piqued Setne’s interest.

&#;I believed there could be a market for their leftover materials, particularly the conveyor belts and poly pipe—the very items they were expending money to remove.&#

Other recyclables

Besides conveyor belts, EZA Recycling Solutions frequently repurposes poly pipe used for redirecting water away from quarries.

&#;We’ve encountered quarries with mountains of poly pipe,&#; Setne shares. His company also tackles scrap metal and equipment recycling. The only materials EZA Recycling Solutions doesn’t contract for are tires.

&#;Tires are heavily regulated by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), so we often have to charge for tire recycling,&#; he notes. &#;In such cases, we connect clients with tire-recycling services in their area, as we prefer not to charge for collecting waste.&#

Photos by Ezekiel Setne