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Construction Waste
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Construction Waste

According to the California 2004 Statewide Waste Characterization Study, construction and demolition (C&D) materials account for almost 22 percent of the waste stream. Many of these materials can be reused or recycled, thus prolonging our supply of natural resources and potentially saving money in the process.

Common materials include lumber, drywall, metals, masonry (brick, concrete, etc.), carpet, plastic, pipe, rocks, dirt, paper, cardboard, or green waste related to land development. Of these, metals are the most commonly recycled material while lumber makes up the majority of debris that still goes to a landfill.

Commercial buildings that have initiated a deconstruction and recycling program have had direct financial and environmental results.  Deconstruction of a building may be more expensive than demolition, but the environment benefits are hard to ignore.  The most significant benefit is in the reuse or recycle of materials.  Many parts of a building can be reused as they are and items like wood and sheetrock can be ground up and composted.  

Significant cost savings is a huge draw for deconstruction. For example, by deconstructing its Sundeck Restaurant, the Aspen Skiing Company realized significant cost savings. Normally, there is a standard tipping fee of $21.50 per cubic yard on C&D waste, but the landfill manager waived it because he was able to sell the compost—saving the Aspen Skiing Company over $42,000 in avoided disposal costs.  

 

Search by Zip Code for Construction Waste Recyclers in your area:

The US EPA estimates that each year 136 million tons of construction and demolition waste are generated in the United States.

 

The USGSA has created an online Construction Waste Management Database to assist in reducing construction and demolition waste.  Recyclers of construction and demolition waste may advertise their services free on this site.  USGSA promotes the responsible disposal of construction waste including concrete, asphalt, masonry, wood and other materials, which can be safely reused or recycled.  Users can search by state, zip code and over 15 commonly recycled materials to find recyclers their area.   

Source: 2004 Statewaide Waste Characterization Study

URL: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/green/projects/aspen.htm