Sustainable Recycling

The Urban Quarries Process

What You Should Know

The problem we are solving

Most street debris, hydrovac waste, catch basin materials, and aggregate-rich C&D (Construction & Demolition) waste currently go straight to landfills.

  • Landfills are often far from city centers
  • Transporting waste is costly, inefficient, and environmentally harmful
  • Landfills are filling up fast

The reality about landfills

Landfills are not just dumping grounds; they are a logistics problem. The farther away they are, the more time, fuel, and money it takes to get there.

waste management

The Urban Quarries solution

We divert this material away from landfills and bring it to our centrally located site in Redford Township (the old Detroit Waste Transfer Station).

We take in:

  • Street sweepings
  • Hydrovac waste
  • Catch basin gunk
  • C&D waste rich in reusable aggregates

What happens at our site? 

Our facility is engineered to clean, sort, and recycle usable materials from incoming waste:

  • We process, wash, and separate the materials
  • We recover clean sand and stone
  • Recycled materials are sold to local builders
  • All operations meet regulatory compliance standards

 Why does landfill location matter?

Because we’re based in Redford Township, this means:

  • Less transportation = lower fuel and labor costs
  • Faster turnaround for local contractors
  • Reduced greenhouse gas emissions from long-distance hauling

 The BIG benefit 

Our cost is the same as a traditional landfill, but we provide more value:

  • Local supply of recycled sand and aggregates
  • Reduced emissions
  • Direct MMP (Materials Management Plan) alignment for counties
  • Helping you meet your overall goals
recycled aggregate materials
How do we align with Michigan's Materials Management Plan (MMP)?

Urban Quarries helps local governments:

  • Increase recycling and landfill diversion
  • Build material recovery infrastructure
  • Reduce carbon emissions
  • Improve data tracking and reporting
  • Promote circular economy practices
Is this system proven?

Yes. Our process isn’t experimental.

  • Already in use across Europe and U.S. states like New York and Virginia
  • Backed by a world-leading material processing equipment provider
  • Turnkey setup, ready to scale in Michigan
Why isn’t this a risk?
  • Equipment is tested and compliant with strict regulations
  • Facilities like ours are operating globally
  • The system is proven and in use today
  • Urban Quarries simply brings it to Michigan

How does the process work? 

Urban Quarries Process

Where we stand today

  • We own and operate at the former Detroit Transfer Station in Redford Township
  • EGLE and local agencies support our permitting process
  • No major legal or technical issues identified
  • Our design and engineering teams are moving forward
  • We’re on track to build something smart, clean, and community focused.