The Seattle City Council adopted a goal for recycling 70 percent of construction waste by 2020 — the driving force behind the new requirements. We are confident this is achievable.
Tag Archives: C&D recycling
Buying time – Construction & Demolition Recycling
While proponents of LEED v4 tout its emphasis on the life cycle of building products, to many in the recycling and demolition industry, it is viewed as impractical. It certainly has implications for demolition contractors if more sorting of materials is required on site and for the C&D recycling facility that counted alternative daily cover toward its diversion rate.
Kristin Smith EDITOR’S FOCUS
Sustainablog | Saving The Planet And Money At The Construction Site
The world is slowly finding itself without the resources that it needs, and therefore the construction materials that are being used need to be reduced to help the environmental impact. Rather than send all of the leftover materials, as well as materials that are from the demolition and excavation process, as well as the construction process, this industry is turning towards recycling the reusable materials.
Entering the mix – CDR – Construction & Demolition Recycling
In 2009, an Illinois law, the IL Public Act 096-0489 passed. This new legislation allowed for Beneficial Use Determination (BUD) status permitting the handling of materials previously classified as waste to be returned to the economic mainstream without the legal siting requirements of a solid waste transfer station.
This action spawned recycling industries in Illinois and has encouraged private-sector innovation and job growth in the most difficult economic climate in recent history. Reclaimed asphalt shingles (RAS) are now among the materials allowed to be recycled in Illinois, a petroleum resource that was harvested by neighboring states for nearly a decade.
via Entering the mix – CDR – Construction & Demolition Recycling.
Sill-to-Sill is a Recycled Material Gift Shop at Hackney City Farm | Inhabitat
Photos by Millie Harvey www.millieharvey.com
Designed by a group of young collaborators, the project built from recycled and reclaimed materials will serve as the urban farm’s gift shop, information center and produce stand.
Henry Baumann Creates Incredible Sculptural Furnishings From Construction Site Waste | Inhabitat
Designer Henry Baumann has created an incredible series of sculptural lamps and chairs by recycling big wooden cable drums often found on building sites.
WM scraps construction recycling operation | KING5.com Seattle
Someone should really let the booming construction industry know that the market conditions are suffering…
In a statement issued Thursday, Waste Management blamed the decision on current economic realities.
“In 2010, WM purchased Glacier, made a number of upgrades to the facility so that we could expand our recycling efforts in C & D,” said WM Senior Communications Manager Robin Freedman. “At that time, market conditions were strong and it was a viable business. Unfortunately the market conditions have dramatically changed, so it no longer makes financial sense to remain open.”
via WM scraps construction recycling operation | KING5.com Seattle.
Handbook of recycled concrete and demolition waste
Handbook of recycled concrete and demolition waste is a standard reference for all those involved in the civil engineering sector, as well as academic researchers in the field.
Step by Step – CDR – Construction & Demolition Recycling
To begin any recycling program, the first question that needs to be answered is, why recycle? Instead, WasteCap’s senior project manager and trainer, Ralph McCall, commonly hears why you should not recycle. “A common reaction we get when asking this question is that you should not recycle because it takes too much time, takes more people and costs too much,” he says.
WasteCap has demonstrated time and again that this is not the case. On-site recycling programs can work efficiently without taking extra time and labor while saving money for the contractor or owner. Also, as many in the construction world know, it is a necessary part of many certification programs, such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program.
via Step by Step – CDR – Construction & Demolition Recycling.
Waterfront Toronto Diverts 86% of Construction Waste · Environmental Management & Energy News · Environmental Leader
For construction-related waste, Waterfront Toronto requires that all construction and demolition projects divert a minimum of 50% of waste, with a target of 75%, according to the sustainability report. This requirement is included in the Environmental Management Plan and is a credit achieved as part of its LEED for Neighbourhood Development Gold certification.
“With landfill space at a premium, waste management is a critical issue for the City of Toronto and Waterfront Toronto has addressed this in several ways,”
On-site Recycling of Construction and Demolition Waste Cuts Away at Costs
Recycling efforts can help you trim expenses. The trick is to find useful purposes for the waste stream being generated. Metals, wood and concrete are among the easiest to recycle. Other materials may take a little more ingenuity.
You must also consider how recycling efforts can impact productivity, since recycling can slow production. “It is outweighed by the money that you would save by not going to the landfill,” asserts Nicholas Funke, Klenck Company.
To maximize the value of your recycling efforts, you need to have a plan in place tailored to your company’s operations. Successfully implementing that plan will require a change of mindset. “You cannot look at it as trash,” says Tom Kirk, owner, Kirk C&D Recycling. “It is cash flow.”
via On-site Recycling of Construction and Demolition Waste Cuts Away at Costs.
AR News, March 2013 | LEED change impacts C&D recycling
A new rule expected from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) this summer will stop giving construction and demolition recyclers credit for the recycling technique most widely used to win green certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building rating system.
“That’s thrown our industry into a tizzy,” said Jason Haus, chief executive officer of Dem-Con Companies, a Shakopee, Minnesota, recycling and disposal company. Haus said the new draft of LEED has some improvements. However, he is concerned that less material will be recycled as a result.
The new USGBC rule is part of a recent revision of the LEED ratings system. The revision was supposed to have been issued last year. But after critical response to an early draft from the recycling community and other stakeholders, it was delayed.
Recyclers still aren’t happy. “We disputed it but it doesn’t do any good,” said William Turley, executive director of the Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA), a national industry group based in Aurora, Illinois. Turley said the result of the rule change will be that some recyclers and some projects will be unable to claim the LEED credits they could have in the past.
Continue reading AR News, March 2013 | LEED change impacts C&D recycling