An Ameren Illinois program is giving new life to old utility poles and has helped prevent 750 tons of wood from going to waste. In 2022, the first year of an initiative to recycle retired or broken power poles, the company diverted nearly 750 tons of wood waste from landfills. “We want to do the right thing for the environment by keeping our decommissioned power poles out of landfills,” said Kyle Maxwell, superintendent of electric operations for Ameren Illinois.
Ameren Missouri recycled nearly 185 tons of power poles. Power poles are damaged or retired for several reasons: They are broken after a storm or traffic accident; they are are at the end of their life span; or a commercial business or industry leaves a community and the poles and equipment need to be removed.
The utility works with Blackwood Solutions, a recycling company that specializes in repurposing or recycling old or broken power poles for fencing, landscaping or building materials. Customers and non-profit groups can still request decommissioned poles from Ameren Illinois to use for parking lot borders and fences. Maxwell said that prior to recycling initiative, Ameren Illinois placed its wood waste into Dumpsters, which were hauled away. A typical 40-foot pole weighs about 1,000 pounds.