2025 impact report
Our best year on diversion and water, and a residual stream we are still not happy about. Both halves are on this page.
- Sheet
- 14
- Revision
- 2026-10
- Scale
- 1:1
- Drawn at
- Peoria IL
2025 in six figures
| Path | Containers | Share | CO₂e avoided (lb) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reuse as-is | 23,896 | 58% | 5,065,952 | Washed, inspected, re-released |
| Rebottle | 8,652 | 21% | 1,401,624 | Cage and pallet reused |
| Repurpose | 2,472 | 6% | 524,064 | Fab bay builds |
| Recycle | 4,944 | 12% | 469,680 | HDPE regrind, steel baled |
| Licensed disposal | 1,236 | 3% | — | Regulated residue and consumables |
| Total | 41,200 | 100% | 7,461,320 | ≈ 3,380 metric tons CO₂e |
What physically left the yard
| Output | Quantity | Destination | Spec |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural HDPE regrind | 358 tons | Pipe and profile extrusion, 2 regional buyers | 8–12 mm, <1% moisture |
| Mixed-colour regrind | 146 tons | Pallet and crate moulders | 8–12 mm, colour sorted |
| Baled galvanised steel | 119 tons | Regional EAF mills | Mill-ready bales |
| Wood fibre | 26 tons | Mulch and boiler fuel | Chipped |
| Manifested residual | 13 tons | Licensed processor | Sludge, gaskets, adhesive, filter media |
Water
- Total water used in washing
- 1,142,000 gal
- Recovered and reused
- 1,096,000 gal (96%)
- Fresh potable make-up
- 46,000 gal
- Per container washed
- 4.1 gal fresh
- Discharge to storm system
- 0 gal
- Sludge manifested out
- 8.4 tons
Three things, stated plainly
- Filter media is still landfilled. 2.1 tons of it in 2025. We have not found a processor who will take it and we have not tried hard enough. This is the largest single line in our residual stream.
- Our CO₂e figures are internally calculated, not third-party verified. We publish the factors and the arithmetic, but a reviewer would be right to call this a limitation.
- We turned away 740 containers on documentation grounds that were probably fine. Being conservative about history means some perfectly good containers went elsewhere, and we do not know what happened to them.
Commitments for 2026
Adhesive-free placards across all grades, a processor for filter media, and the first third-party review of our emissions methodology. Those are the three, and they will be reported against next year whether they land or not.
The year in operational detail
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | Change | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Containers handled | 41,200 | 38,700 | +6.5% | Growth entirely on existing lanes |
| Working days | 249 | 251 | −2 | Two weather closures |
| Containers per working day | 165 | 154 | +7% | Layout change, not headcount |
| Wash cycles run | 7,420 | 6,980 | +6% | Cycle 3 share up 2 points |
| Rebottles completed | 8,652 | 7,900 | +9.5% | Resin pricing favoured rebuilds |
| Fab bay builds | 2,472 | 2,100 | +18% | Fastest-growing path |
| Inbound loads refused | 7.1% | 6.8% | +0.3 | Tighter declaration enforcement |
| Damage rate in transit | 0.4% | 0.4% | — | Corner boards and a second walk |
| Grade disputes | 58 | 63 | −8% | Staining scale published mid-2024 |
- Headcount
- 9
- Containers per employee
- 4,578
- Standing inventory range
- 480 (May) to 3,400 (January)
- Longest single sweep
- 212 containers, Chicago metro
- Emergency shutdown jobs
- 11, all inside 72 hours
- Customer audits hosted
- 1 (total to date: 4)
The two lines we do not usually publish
| Input | 2025 | Per container | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity | 412,000 kWh | 10.0 kWh | Granulator and wash bay heating dominate |
| Natural gas | 28,400 therms | 0.69 therms | Caustic cycle heating, winter heat tracing |
| Diesel, own fleet | 18,900 gal | 0.46 gal | Two vehicles, six standing lanes |
| Road miles, own fleet | 117,000 mi | 2.8 mi | Two-way loading on 83% of runs |
| Deadhead share | 17% | — | The number we most want to reduce |
Our own operational emissions from the lines above come to roughly 420 metric tons of CO₂e. Set against the 3,380 metric tons avoided by not manufacturing replacement containers, the ratio is about one to eight. We would rather publish both numbers than quote the flattering one, and reducing the 17% deadhead share is the single biggest lever we have on the first figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many containers did the yard handle in 2025?
The report gives 41,200 containers, up from 38,700 in 2024. Of those, 58 percent were reused as is, 21 percent were rebottled, 6 percent were repurposed, 12 percent were recycled and 3 percent went to licensed disposal.
How much fresh water does washing use?
About 4.1 gallons of fresh water per container washed in 2025. Of 1,142,000 gallons used in washing, 96 percent was recovered and reused, and the report lists zero gallons discharged to the storm system.
What did the yard get wrong in 2025?
The report names three: filter media is still landfilled at 2.1 tons, the CO2e figures are calculated internally and not third-party verified, and 740 containers were turned away on documentation grounds that were probably fine.
Are the CO2e numbers independently verified?
No. The report says they are calculated internally. The factors and arithmetic are published, but a reviewer would be right to call it a limitation. A first third-party review of the methodology is one of the 2026 commitments.
What happens to the plastic and steel that cannot be reused?
Natural HDPE regrind (358 tons) goes to pipe and profile extrusion buyers, mixed-colour regrind (146 tons) to pallet and crate moulders, and baled galvanised steel (119 tons) to regional mills. The report also lists wood fibre and manifested residual.