Construction Materials: Recycling and Reuse
Synopsis
One of the commonest problems encountered in refurbishing or tenant-improvement construction is what to do with worn-out fixtures, equipment and materials that have been removed to make way for new installations. Of course, in all areas of construction, owners face the problem of how to build modern structures at the lowest possible cost. A solution to these problems lies in recycling materials and fixtures. The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® program provides certification credits for the recycling and reuse of these materials, as do many local and state programs. The question for builders is where to obtain recycled items and how to keep old materials from the waste stream.
Discussion
Increasingly, contract awarding agencies and private construction firms have begun to encourage and in many cases require that builders conserve materials and reduce waste in the construction or alteration of structures and landscapes. This is a radical departure from the old-time response, wherein everything removed and all the excess material was simply hauled to the dump. Tipping fees are high, some materials cannot be accepted at available landfills, and the cost of transport continues to rise. All these considerations push the builder toward salvage.
There are many strong arguments for salvaging construction material. The problem is that much or most of that material may not be suitable for use on the current project. When this is the case, the builder is back at square one in trying to find a home for the old fixtures. Likewise, when a contractor wants refurbished materials, there is the problem of finding sources.
Solutions
Disposal
Let’s say that you are renovating a multi-story office building and you’ve got five floors worth of light fixtures, toilets, sinks, mirrors and wiring, plus junction boxes, wooden banisters, and even a few dozen CO2 fire extinguishers. The nearest dump site is miles away and they don’t take half the stuff you’ve got on the truck.
One solution: go to the phone directory or internet and look under ‘Construction Recycling.’ If you don’t find anything there, find a local Salvation Army outlet or Goodwill store. Ask the manager if he can use at least part of what you’ve got to offer. A very good place to go is Habitat for Humanity; many of their offices maintain materials recycling and will be happy to accept or even to pick up your discarded fixtures. The bonus in using charitable organizations is that you will receive a receipt for the value of the donation that can reduce your taxes.
Before you begin work or even prior to bidding, find out what local restrictions or requirements surround the disposal of the kind of material you’re going to have on hand as the job progresses. Ask the town or county where you can take the materials. Many times the town’s civil engineer or public works department will have information.
Reuse
Anybody who has priced used brick knows how much value the public puts on material with a bit of heritage attached. These days, old is good, as long as it functions. The good news is that a lot of the old stuff functions just fine. But it isn’t just antique lamps or doorknobs that get used. Restrictions on dumping and increased costs have made it more profitable in many cases to put unused or removed materials back on the market for sale.
Examples of this are easily found in any category. Online auctions such as Ebay and Craigslist contain ads for everything from drywall to gravel, often including delivery. Used appliance outlets offer functioning fixtures for a fraction of new prices. As mentioned earlier, Habitat for Humanity maintains local outlets specializing in recycling construction materials.
Sometimes recycling requires a bit of imagination. You can call around to local hardware stores, offering to take unused lots of paint or a dented appliances. Your local big-box home emporium will have scratch-and-dent washers and sinks. Start a network of others in your business; post an online noteboard and see what others need or have to offer. Got a hundred old toilets that aren’t in compliance with low-flush standards? They may not be acceptable at the dump, but you can take them to a stone vendor who will crush them into usable gravel.
Recycling
Remember when nobody recycled aluminum cans? Nowadays most scrap metal from construction sites is recycled, and for good reason: it makes money. You may know this if you’ve ever had one of your jobs ripped off for copper, aluminum, brass or even ferrous metals. It may be worth it to pay an employee to strip wire, salvage pipe or even the cardboard from fixture shipping containers; keep records of what you recycle and watch the dollars roll in.
LEED
Finally, whether you’re working on a LEED® certified project or not, you should be aware that recycling materials is a recognized way to earn LEED qualifying points—and that LEED’s standards are rapidly being adopted by public agencies across the nation. LEED maintains guidelines for Construction Waste Management and Material Reuse; as little as 5% use of salvaged, refurbished or reused materials will result in credit toward various levels of certification. See www.usgbc.org for further information.
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Useful links:
Habitat for Humanity materials recycling stores: www.habitat.org/cd/env/restore.aspx
Salvation Army donations: Call 1-800-SA-TRUCK
California Construction/Demolition Debris Recycling: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/ConDemo/
City of Torrance Building Materials Recycling: http://www.ci.torrance.ca.us/8614.htm
M. McGrorty
PIPEGreen editor
