Tips
on C&D Recycling/Recovery:
Your
choice of recovery methods will depend on many factors. These include the
quantity and type of C&D debris, availability of space for on-site
recovery, existence of waste haulers and/or end users for off-site
recovery, and program costs. C&D debris recovery methods include
reducing waste at the source, reuse of scrap materials, recycling
materials, and use of recycled content construction materials.
1.
Reduce Waste
at the Source
A
business can save money by reducing the amount of waste it creates.
Source reduction decreases disposal costs, lowers labor costs due
to a reduction in handling and cutting materials, and reduces expenditures
for materials because less is wasted.
For tips on how to get an effective C&D waste reduction program
in place, download Building Savings: Strategies for Waste Reduction of
Construction and Demolition Debris from Buildings, www.getf.org/file/toolmanager/O16F8895.pdf.
This
20-page document published by the U.S. EPA, details projects that
recovered rates of 42% to 82% of their waste. The paper also includes
resources for further research.
Ways to reduce waste:
a.
Design: Ask your architect for building designs that use
standard material sizes.
b.
Plan: Plan ahead so that fewer supply runs need be made
to local suppliers.
c.
Reduce
Packaging: Ask
suppliers to remove packaging before shipping materials to your site, wrap
materials in reusable blankets or padding, or take back the packaging
after the materials have been delivered.
d.
Include
Waste Disposal Costs in Bids:
Require subcontractors to include the cost of removing their waste in
their bids to give them an incentive to produce less waste.
e.
Deconstruction
describes the process of selective dismantling or removal of materials
from buildings before or instead of demolition.
Reuse and recycling examples include electrical and plumbing
fixtures that are reused; steel, copper, and lumber that are reused or
recycled; wood flooring that is remilled; and doors and windows that are
refinished for use in new construction.
2.
Reuse Scrap
Materials On-Site
Consider reusing materials on site to reduce
your disposal efforts and costs.
Many building
materials may be reusable during renovation projects and projects where a
new building is built following the demolition of another. Planners can
increase reuse potential by making efforts to use the same size and types
of materials as in the old construction. Inadequate storage space for
materials during the interim from removal to reinstallation may limit
reuse as a materials recovery option.
Typical materials suitable for reuse include plumbing fixtures,
doors, cabinets, windows, carpeting, bricks, light fixtures, ceiling and
floor tiles, wood, HVAC equipment, and decorative items (including
fireplaces and stonework).
A
Builder's Guide to Reuse and Recycling: A Directory for Construction and
Demolition Materials, published by the Alameda County
Waste Management Authority, located at www.stopwaste.org/remodeler.pdf
contains useful information on reusing building materials during the
construction of a structure
Basic reuse tips:
a.
Leftover
masonry material can be crushed on site and used for fill or as bedding material for
driveways.
b.
Joist
off-cuts
can be cut up and used as stakes for forming or for headers around
openings in the floor assembly.
c.
Leftover
rigid insulation
can be used as ventilation baffles in attics or installed into house
envelopes at joist header assemblies.
d.
Pallets
can
be reused or returned to vendors.
e.
Salvageable
materials can be given to businesses that collect and resell used construction
materials.
3.
Donate
or Sell Reusable Materials
Many
materials can be salvaged from demolition and renovation sites and sold or
donated. By selling or donating unwanted reusable materials, contractors
can avoid disposal costs. Options for donating or selling reusable
material is listed in the C&D Reuse Services Listing below:
4.
Recycle
Materials
Many construction and demolition wastes can be recycled into new
materials. Keep in mind that
local recycling options vary across Massachusetts. You can obtain information about recycling opportunities in
your project area from municipal solid waste managers, regional offices of
state solid waste management agencies, and waste haulers. Many
of the items listed below can be recycled with service providers found in
the Recycling Services Directory and Markets Guide for Massachusetts located
at: www.wastecap.org/wastecap/rsd/rsdindex.htm
a.
Scrap
lumber
or wood can be processed and used for landscaping, compost, animal
bedding, boiler fuel, or engineered building products.
b.
Metals
such as aluminum, copper, steel, and brass can be sold to scrap metal
yards. These are some of the
easiest and most cost effective materials to recycle.
c.
Cardboard
can be kept separate in cardboard-only dumpsters at the job site and
picked up by a local recycling firm.
d.
Gypsum
drywall
can be collected for use as a soil amendment or a substitute for lime on
lawns.
e.
Rubble
(concrete, bricks, cinder block, and certain types of tile) can be crushed
and sieved for use as an aggregate. For example, it can substitute for
stone aggregate in nonconstruction application.
f.
Glass
can
be recycled into fiberglass or used in place of sand in paving material.
g.
Asphalt
shingles
can be used in asphalt paving and pothole repair.
h.
Other
scrap,
such as plastic, fiberglass, and foam or other packaging materials can be
recycled. However, it may not
be cost effective to recycle small amounts unless local markets exist. Check with the local or state solid waste manager for
information on recycling markets.
5.
Buy
Recycled-Content Construction Materials
To help expand markets for recyclable materials, it is important to buy
building supplies that contain recycled materials.
Some of these materials have been used for years by the
construction industry, but they have not been advertised as
“recycled.” There are
also many new recycled-content building materials of which you may not be
aware. Information about
these products and how to purchase them can be obtained by consulting the
organizations whose links are listed at:
www.wastecap.org/wastecap/links%20folder/BR%20Links/buying_recycled&epp.htm.
6.
Concerns
About Material Covered With Lead Based Paint
Residential
contractors frequently work on residential dwellings like single family
homes, apartment buildings, row houses, military barracks, or college
dormitories. They routinely generate LBP waste during lead abatement,
remodeling, or rehabilitation work on these residences. The waste consists
mostly of building parts, such as doors, window frames, painted woodwork,
and paint chips. For more
information on this topic please visit the US-EPA website at www.epa.gov/lead/fslbp.htm.
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