Disposing of unused concrete blobs

Question

I have an old bag of concrete that's been sitting in the garage unused for over a decade, and now ... its literally a bag of concrete. Like a solid block of concrete with a bag around it.

How does one properly get rid of this?

I suppose now that I have a hammer drill, I could take the time to break it up into gravel, which would make it less backbreaking to move (sort of). However, that seems like rather a lot of work for something I just want to dispose of. But it doesn't seem like something one should just chuck in the trash whole. That would be rather unfriendly to both the trash disposal personnel and their equipment. Just getting it out of the bottom of my trashcan would be a trick.

It seems like answers to this question would also be useful to people who have removed old fence posts.

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Now that I think about it, I also have a partially-used bag of cement, and its likely to meet the same fate before I have a good reason to use the rest of it. Probably isn't worth taking up the space in my garage in the meantime, compared to what a new bag costs either. Is it OK to trash such a thing? In the past with extra cement powder spillage I've just washed it thoroughly with water from a garden hose to dilute it to nothing, but with a sizeable % of whole bag there might be a better solution? If the answers are completely different, I can make a separate question for this, but it occurs to me that if there are environmental concerns, they might have related answers.

Answer 1

My neighbor recently busted up a small pad that was at the exit to the pedestrian door of his garage. He put the fragments to the street and advertised on Facebook marketplace. The respondent collected the fragments to reduce the volume necessary on a pour being done as the respondent's project.

My solid mass of concrete with a paper bag around it joined his fragments and was taken in the same pickup.

Our area has via online resources, "trash nothing," also a freecycle group in which one can post such offers. Craigslist has a free category as well.

Answer 2

Round here, small amounts of DIY construction waste can be taken to the municipal recycling facility. Concrete, rubble, and soil go in together and get graded and reused as construction infill.

A lot of other waste can be taken there as well, but must be sorted; I generally save it up in rubble sacks until it's worth making a trip.

This is always an option here in the UK, and judging by signs I've seen, similar facilities are common in much of Europe.

Answer 3

The partial bag of cement powder should be easy to give away for someone else to use before it becomes useless.

The lump might go as "clean fill" or not, or can be broken up and buried somewhere you need better drainage. Breaking it up should be easily accomplished with a sledgehammer (it's not going to be set very strongly, not having been mixed, just set from absorbing moisture from the air.)

Answer 4

A hammer drill sounds like an unnecessarily time-consuming route.

I think a few good hits with a sledge hammer would do the trick.

Once it's broken up then you can:

• List it as free gravel
• Dig a hole or a few in your yard and bury it
• Check local listings for people looking for "clean fill", they'll gladly take it off your hands
• Take a handful each week and place it in your waste bin to avoid damaging disposal equipment

Answer 5

Used concrete is a type of clean fill. usually there's someone nearby who's doing landscaping and wants clean fill.

If you only have a small amount the lazy solution is to just put in in your general trash.

Answer 6

The country way of disposing of concrete/concrete bags is to get yourself a shovel, go to part of your yard that no one would ever need to normally shovel (away from sewer/power/plumbing/gas/possible pool area), dig a hole, bury it. Even if it is picked up by a "recycling service" there is a great chance it's hitting a landfill.

Others pointed out that there are others around you that might want it. Nothing wrong with putting it at the end of the driveway with a small sign and see if someone picks it up... My first house maybe on that, my last 2 houses my neighbors would be like WTF is he doing.

Answer 7

Call a concrete ready mix delivery company. I recycle waste concrete and rocks and bricks with them. They have the machinery to bust and size the stuff to add it to new mixtures. No rebar or metal is the only thing.