Waste Management Backgrounder

The Big Picture

In 1996 the United States produced 136 million tons of building-related construction and demolition debris, according to U.S. EPA estimates. Year after year, debris piles up in landfills and burdens the wallets of builders and their clients. Yet most construction waste is wood, drywall, metals, concrete/dirt, and cardboard — materials that can be reused or recycled if prepared properly. Relocating buildings instead of building new ones, salvaging construction materials before demolition, and other practices can reduce waste and save big money at a construction or demolition site.

Context

Building activities are often cited as a main reason why landfill volumes are increasing, despite expanding recycling efforts by local jurisdictions. In recent years, however, builders and contractors have begun to recognize the financial benefits of waste reduction and C&D recycling. To meet demand, an increasing number of building materials made from recycled content (insulation, plastic lumber, tiles) have been introduced to the market. In general they are competitively priced and perform as well as virgin products.

Getting Down to Business

• At Erickson’s Diversified Corporate Headquarters in Hudson, Wis., the company planned to incorporate materials recovery efforts during the construction of its new corporate headquarters even though it expected to pay more than if it simply disposed of all materials generated. In fact, the company diverted 69% of the project debris — and saved money as well.
  
• During renovations for the Ridgehaven Building in downtown San Diego, Calif., the city wanted to reduce, recycle, and reuse materials from the project in order to comply with California’s 50% recycling goal and reduce materials going to the city-owned landfill. In addition to diverting 51% of the renovation materials from disposal, the city also saved $92,000.
  
• Café Flora, in Seattle, Wash., recycled an existing on-site building for its restaurant, using recycled paint and recycled concrete in the retaining wall and as a base course. The cafe also has window glazing that conserves energy; low-toxicity paints and finishes; formaldehyde-free fiberboard; and a variety of other energy-efficient measures. The building uses 21% less energy than code requires. Savings are achieved through heat recovery from the refrigeration system, special lighting installations, daylighting, efficient fans, and efficient space heating.

Key Players

• Management commitment is key. Establish a written policy, specifying goals for materials recovery and reuse in clear numerical terms.
  
• Builders and contractors are becoming increasingly familiar with waste management issues, as more clients request that builders conduct on-site recycling of construction and demolition debris.
  
• Many local organizations maintain online C&D recycled-products exchanges that enable users to search for available materials and post their own materials for resale to buyers in their area.

The Upside

Through recycling and waste prevention, owners and occupants of green buildings enjoy a wide variety of financial and environmental benefits:

• Lower project costs through avoided disposal costs, avoided purchases of new materials, revenue earned from materials sales, and tax breaks gained for donations.
  
• Reduced negative environmental effects associated with extraction, transportation, and processing of raw materials.
  
• Compliance with state and local building codes, such as disposal bans and recycling goals.

Reality Check

It may take building crews additional time to properly separate and sort C&D materials for recycling. The cost of labor to salvage and recycle should be weighed against the avoided costs of hauling and disposing of materials, and the value of materials that are recovered. Nevertheless, materials recovery often proves to be more cost-effective than disposal.

Because the industry is constantly changing, some facilities may have reduced or expanded the types of materials they take. Make sure you find out the terms and conditions that are required for certain materials.

Action Plan

• Include recovery requirements and goals in project specifications.
  
• Research grants and low interest loans to assist efforts in source reduction, recycling, composting, processing, or recycled market development.
  
• Hire builders with training in C&D waste management. Builders should understand materials recovery and reuse techniques, know where to purchase and resell recycled building materials, and promote the program to construction crews.
  
• Measure twice, cut once to avoid creating waste.
  
• Choose materials that are durable so you don’t have to replace them frequently.
  
• Use energy-efficient practices and products for construction, operation, and maintenance of buildings.
  
• Allow time in your construction schedule for salvage and recycling.
  
• Whenever possible, sort recovery materials on-site. Using separate containers can reduce contamination.
  
• Offer incentives for recovering and recycling building materials, such as allowing contractors to retain revenues and savings from materials recovery.
  
• Hold contractors accountable for materials recovery.
  
• Call ahead to confirm hours of operation and assure acceptance of materials you wish to recycle.

Leads

• GreenScapes Alliance
  
  Government-industry partnership promotes ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ initiatives among companies involved in large land-use applications.

• Building Savings: Strategies for Waste Reduction of Construction and Demolition Debris from Buildings
  
  How construction and demolition companies can reduce debris and waste while cutting costs.

• Green Building Construction and Demolition
  
  On this Web site, research local building ordinances and get tips on construction-material reuse and recycling.

• onSITE: C&D Waste Minimization
  
  Provides information and resources on waste avoidance and resource recovery related to construction and demolition. The case studies are specific to Australia, but the site speaks to an international audience.

• Residential Construction Waste Management: A Builder’s Field Guide
  
  Explains how to handle home-construction waste economically and environmentally.

• Construction Site Recycling Fact Sheets
  
  Plenty of solid information for builders in the Golden State and beyond.

Bottom Line

Employing good waste management strategies during construction and renovation projects can offer large financial dividends while diverting significant amounts of used building materials from landfills. As more builders and contractors understand the benefits of C&D recycling and reuse, the job is only getting easier.