RMC Waste Disposal Options: Cost Comparison and Envirocon's Advantage

Using and understanding Envirocon's waste processing comparison calculator.

Understanding Excess Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) Waste

Excess RMC, the leftover wet concrete after a pour, poses a significant cost challenge for ready mix concrete companies. Traditionally, disposal options included third-party solutions, making concrete blocks, or recycling. Each method incurs substantial and rising costs, both explicit (disposal fees, consumables) and hidden (truck downtime, storage space, extra mileage).

Envirocon's Cost-Effective Solution

Envirocon, a leader in excess concrete management, offers a lower-cost, higher-value alternative. To illustrate the potential savings, Envirocon developed a calculator comparing the net cost of different disposal methods.

Calculator Methodology

The calculator compares Envirocon's solution against two alternatives: using third-party solutions or casting concrete blocks. It considers both explicit and hidden costs while keeping certain factors constant (e.g., concrete discharge rate).

Why Envirocon is the Lowest Cost Option

Envirocon consistently emerges as the most cost-effective choice due to several key factors:

  1. Shared Costs: Serving multiple RMCs allows Envirocon to distribute fixed costs across a larger base.
  2. Subsidized Processing: Envirocon's Accredited Product Stewardship status enables subsidized waste concrete processing.
  3. Strategic Placement: Collection points are located near production plants to minimize truck movements and distances traveled.

Hidden Costs of Other Disposal Systems

Alternative systems often carry hidden costs:

  • Limited Mould Capacity: RMCs with their own moulds often lack sufficient capacity to handle all returned concrete, leading to waste and increased costs.
  • Market-Driven Pricing: Third-party processors cater to a larger waste stream (including demolition concrete), resulting in market-based pricing that includes the government waste levy and processing costs.

Beyond Cost Reduction: Envirocon's Value Proposition

Envirocon's "envirotrac" data system not only reduces costs but also empowers RMCs to increase revenue. This unique combination disproportionately boosts a plant's profit margin, making Envirocon the superior choice for excess RMC management.