Generally speaking, when a developer acquires an existing commercial site—like the site of the old BP Gasoline Station on Belair Road across from Perry Hall Marketplace—the first thing that happens is the demolition of any obsolete buildings present on the property. Unfortunately, this wholesale leveling of buildings has a dire consequence, namely, the creation of massive amounts of waste.

Thankfully, there is a sensible option which can reduce the amount of construction waste generated in this country. Rather than simply bulldozing an old building and hauling off the debris, developers can opt to have the old building deconstructed. In basic terms, deconstruction is the careful and systematic dismantling of a building structure to maximize the recovery of valuable building materials. Deconstruction is an environmentally friendly alternative to demolition, directing large quantities of debris away from landfills.

This is a well written editorial, go read the rest of it via OPINION: Deconstruct Old Perry Hall, Don’t Demolish – Perry Hall, MD Patch.