Job Site Recycling

Job-Site Recycling

• Building demolition and remodeling produce significant amounts of waste as existing structures and finishes are removed. New construction also produces waste in the form of scrap, defective and damaged material, and empty packaging. Much of the construction and demolition waste produced is sent to landfills. At present only a small fraction of construction waste is recovered for reuse or recycling, although the potential exists to recycle or reuse a high proportion of construction waste. In fact, through implementation of job-site recycling options waste can be prevented altogether, or at least diverted from landfills. Alternatives to landfill disposal help to recover part of the value in materials formerly considered a liability as waste.
• EPA’s Characterization of Building-Related Construction and Demolition Debris in the United States indicates that 136 million tons of building-related C&D debris was generated in 1996. Building demolitions are the largest source of C&D debris, accounting for 48% of the waste stream (or 65 million tons per year). Renovations account for 44% (or 60 million tons per year) and construction sites generate 8% (or 11 million tons per year.) The waste stream as a whole probably contains more than 30% construction and demolition waste.
• On average, at least 25% of discarded construction material is dimensional lumber, 15% is drywall, 12% is masonry and tile, and 10% is waste from manufactured wood products. The other 38% is divided between cardboard, paper and plastic packaging, asphalt, fiberglass, metals and other miscellaneous materials. Demolition waste, by contrast, tends to have much higher percentages of wood and asphalt, in particular. The magnitude of wasted material, both nationally and at individual job sites, is impressive. One of the most comprehensive and referenced studies on job-site waste was done by REIC Consulting Ltd. in Toronto, Canada. Their analysis showed that the construction of an average house results in discarding the equivalent of 200 2×4 studs, 400 standard bricks, and 10 to 12 sheets of drywall. Meanwhile, a study by the University of Illinois showed that construction of an average single-family home resulted in 7.2 pounds of waste per square foot of floor area.
• Many builders are beginning to find that disposing of construction waste can be problematic. In some municipalities, cardboard, clean wood, concrete and rubble, drywall and scrap metal are banned from the landfill. Builders are finding the costs of disposal increasing as landfill space decreases and tipping fees rise. Paying for the disposal of construction “waste” makes up, on average, 3 to 5 percent of a builder’s overall budget. Given the rising costs, builders are learning that avoiding the creation of construction and demolition waste, reusing materials and implementing jobsite recycling programs can make money, rather than adding to disposal costs.
• Some contractors assume that recycling costs more in increased labor than it will save in tipping fees, so they will not pursue job-site recycling unless it is required in the bid. Specifying recycling in the contract will put competing contractors on a level footing for bidding. A contractor who offers recycling can negotiate with the owner to have it included in all bids, to illustrate relative costs. Many references indicate that recycling can in fact be cost effective for the builder even in instances where it is not required in the specifications or by the contract. When materials are salvaged for reuse or recycling, the owner or builder can often sell those materials to offset recovery expenses.
• Waste avoidance strategies initiated in the design phase and carried through at the construction site can also reduce the materials costs of a job. Examples of such strategies are standard dimension designs on two-foot modules, accurate materials take-offs, and “just in time” delivery. When fewer materials are used at the site, the builder also has less waste to dispose of, which reduces hauling and tipping fees associated with a job.
• Salvaging materials from demolition or remodeling sites requires advance planning, to locate potential markets for materials and to ensure that components are removed with as little damage as possible, and not mixed with non-reusable demolition debris. Removing materials for reuse may require more labor time during the demolition phase of a project, but some salvaged materials are high-value items that can be sold at a profit if carefully removed. (See listings for Salvaged Materials.) In some areas, non-profit materials reuse facilities accept used construction materials as a tax-deductible donation.
• Construction materials that are not recoverable for reuse may still be readily recyclable. At present the primary barriers to recycling are the high cost of construction labor and the perception many builders have that sorting through cut-piles and separating wastes is labor intensive and too expensive. However, many workable and profitable methods for efficient recycling have been demonstrated, and sources for information on those methods are included in this chapter, and in the CRBT publication Reducing Construction & Demolition Waste.
• Waste is generated by many construction activities, including not only land clearing and demolition, but also framing, drywall hanging, finishing and installation of electrical and mechanical systems. When an on-site disposal system mixes a variety of discards in one “waste” bin, it cancels their recycling value by adding re-sorting cost. On-site workers should be trained to understand the proper procedures for sorting waste, and keeping the different types of waste separate. Source separated, or “clean”, construction waste generally has a much higher market value than mixed waste.
• Finding space on the job-site to locate separate recycling bins for each type of material can be a challenge. Materials usually have to be stored on site until a full load is available for pickup or hauling to the recycling facility. Bins need to be located in a secure area to avoid contamination by unauthorized use. The property owner should be made aware of the materials separation and storage requirements involved in a comprehensive job-site recycling program.
• The final barrier that builders must surmount is locating markets for recycled materials. Many metropolitan areas have compiled listings of haulers, materials recovery facilities, private recyclers and salvage dealers. In other areas the builder may have to locate markets through research and advertising. Time spent finding out what each operation will accept and at what price is a wise investment for the competitive builder.
• For every locale, different options for materials disposal, recycling and reuse will be available, and with materials sorting the options become even greater. Builders should be able to locate recyclers of wood waste, metal, and cardboard in most locations. Disposing of wood waste becomes much easier when the wood is not mixed with drywall, cans of adhesive, or broken windows. Some items are inherently difficult to recycle. Products contaminated with hazardous materials, such as paint containing lead, must be kept out of the materials destined for recycling. Containers with a residue of adhesive in them may be impractical to recycle. Many composite materials, if not reusable, will also be relegated to the dump, due to the difficulty of separating constituent parts for recycling.

from Center for Resourceful Building Technology