Watch the video on Recycling Construction Waste.
Jobsite recycling is becoming an increasingly important issue for the construction industry. Builders are beginning to adopt green building strategies in order to help protect the environment and avoid paying expensive waste disposal fees. Implementing a jobsite recycling program is a reasonably easy way to save money, help the environment, and attract customers interested in environmentally friendly building.
Each year, the U.S. building industry generates just over 30 million tons of construction waste. A single family home produces between two and four tons of debris, most of which makes its way into our nation's landfills. Builders generate nearly a quarter of the waste that ends up in landfills each year. Over the past several decades, the fees associated with waste disposal have increased sharply in relation to the diminishing space in landfills and the need to encourage builders to use alternative disposal methods.
Builders can recycle about 80% of the construction waste generated from a typical project. Rather than filling up landfills and paying high removal and disposal fees, builders have the option to establish a program to recycle much of what they normally pay to have removed. Although disposal is a relatively small portion of the construction budget, recycling can result in significant short and long-term gains. In the short-term, recycling helps builders lower their disposal fees. In the long-term, recycling gives builders the opportunity to increase their reputation as being environmentally friendly, elevating their standing among potential homebuyers.
Wood makes up about 40% of the waste generated on a residential jobsite. Clean wood waste is a great candidate for a recycling program. It can be readily transformed into compost, mulch, and even "new" building products like engineered finger-jointed studs. Cardboard waste, although not heavy, is significant in volume. Cardboard accounts for almost 30% of the volume of jobsite dumpsters. Builders pay for the extra space cardboard takes up by having to send dumpsters to the landfill more often and before they're really full.
You should keep these tips in mind when creating your own jobsite recycling program:
- Separate waste by category. You want to provide separate bins for the major categories of recycling, such as wood, cardboard, and metal.
- Clearly mark the waste bins. Mark the bins in both English and Spanish to ensure that everyone onsite understands that putting the wrong waste material in the wrong bin defeats the purpose of the program.
- Consider using debris piles instead of dumpsters. Because of their high sides, dumpsters make it difficult to see what your crew and trade contractors are throwing away. A debris pile that's fenced off with wire makes viewing the waste easy. To prevent storm water pollution, surround debris piles with secondary containment.
- Donate materials to non-profit groups. Non-profits like Habitat for Humanity can use scratched or dented cabinets and doors, and you can document donations as tax write-offs.
- Involve the trade contractors. Trades need to understand and follow your recycling program for it to be successful. Require trades to use the onsite recycling and disposal bins. Communicate how materials should be separated, where materials should go, and how often materials will be collected and delivered to the appropriate facilities.
A successful jobsite recycling program should reduce tipping and waste removal costs, as well as the overall cost of construction. In addition, customers with a green philosophy will appreciate the extra effort builders take to improve the environment and reduce waste.
For more information about construction waste management, visit: www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?genericContentID=379
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