Can I Recycle Concrete with Rebar?

One of the most common questions we receive at Inland Concrete Recycling is whether reinforced concrete containing rebar can be recycled. The short answer is yes, absolutely! We accept concrete with rebar at both our drop-off facility and for mobile crushing services. Extra processing charges apply due to the additional handling and magnetic separation required.

Why Rebar Needs to Be Separated

Concrete crushing equipment is designed to process masonry materials, not metal. Feeding rebar-reinforced concrete directly into a crusher can:

• Damage the crusher's impact surfaces and wear parts
• Reduce crushing efficiency and output quality
• Contaminate the recycled aggregate with metal fragments
• Pose safety hazards during processing

How We Handle Rebar Removal

At Our Drop-off Facility

When you bring reinforced concrete to our Langley facility, we have two options:

1. Pre-separated Material: If you've already removed the rebar on-site (recommended for smaller quantities), we can accept the clean concrete immediately
2. On-site Separation: For larger loads, we can coordinate separation at our facility, though this may incur additional processing fees

Mobile Crushing Service

Our Rubble Master RM 80 mobile crusher processes 150-200 tons per hour (depending on material) and is equipped with a magnetic separator specifically designed to extract rebar during the crushing process:

• Concrete is fed into the impact crusher
• As material is processed, an overhead electromagnet continuously removes ferrous metals
• Separated rebar is collected in a designated pile for scrap metal recycling
• Clean crushed aggregate emerges ready for reuse in sizes from 3/4" up to 4"
• Extra charges apply for rebar processing

Options for Reinforced Concrete

If you have a large demolition project with significant rebar-reinforced concrete, here are your best options:

1. Pre-demolition Separation (Small Projects)

For smaller residential or commercial projects:

• Use handheld tools (angle grinders, bolt cutters, reciprocating saws) to cut and remove visible rebar
• Break concrete into manageable pieces
• Bring clean concrete to our drop-off facility

Best for: Residential renovations, small foundation removals, driveway demolition

2. Mobile Crushing with Magnetic Separation (Large Projects)

For projects with 200+ tons of material:

• Our RM 80 crusher comes to your site
• Material is processed on-site with automated rebar separation
• Rebar is collected for scrap metal recycling (potential cost offset)
• Crushed concrete remains on-site for immediate reuse

Best for: Commercial demolitions, parking garage removal, large foundation projects, infrastructure work

3. Drop-off with Professional Separation

For mid-size projects without mobile crushing volume:

• Deliver reinforced concrete to our Langley facility
• Our team separates rebar using equipment and manual sorting
• Processing fees depend on rebar content and load size

Best for: Contractors with mixed demolition waste, projects under 200-ton threshold

What About Other Reinforcement?

Beyond rebar, you may encounter other reinforcement materials:

• Wire mesh: Can be removed during crushing with magnetic separation
• Fiber reinforcement (synthetic or glass fibers): Generally not an issue for recycling
• Post-tension cables: Should be professionally removed before demolition due to safety hazards
• Dowels and anchors: Magnetic separation handles small embedded metal pieces

Cost Considerations

While reinforced concrete requires extra processing, recycling is still significantly cheaper than landfill disposal:

• Landfill tipping fees: $120-180/ton (plus hauling costs)
• Drop-off recycling (clean concrete): $30-60/ton
• Drop-off with separation: $50-90/ton (depending on rebar content)
• Mobile crushing (200+ tons): Net savings of up to 80% compared to disposal

The cost of rebar separation is typically offset by:

• Eliminating hauling costs (mobile crushing)
• Reusing crushed material on-site as base or fill
• Scrap metal value of separated rebar
• Avoiding landfill tipping fees

Environmental Benefits

Recycling reinforced concrete offers significant environmental advantages:

• Resource conservation: Every ton of crushed concrete replaces virgin aggregate extraction
• Metal recycling: Separated rebar is melted down and remanufactured into new steel products
• Landfill diversion: Keeps thousands of tons of demolition waste out of Metro Vancouver landfills
• Carbon footprint reduction: Eliminates transportation emissions and aggregate quarrying impacts

Ready to Recycle Your Reinforced Concrete?

Whether you have a small residential project or a large commercial demolition, Inland Concrete Recycling can help you recycle concrete with rebar efficiently and cost-effectively.

Contact us today:

• Phone: 604-351-0956
• Email: inlandcr@hotmail.com
• Drop-off facility: Langley, BC (M-F 7:00-4:30, Sat 8:30-3:30)

For projects over 200 tons, ask about our mobile crushing service with integrated magnetic rebar separation.