The construction industry has made a concerted effort to boost the sustainability of demolition practices, devoting more time to sorting salvageable materials in order to maximize their value in recycling. But according to the latest statistics, demolition projects are still too wasteful, and construction teams can do more to capture the economic and environmental benefits of reclamation.
That’s a message from Terri Ward, executive director of the Construction & Demolition Recycling Association, a Chicago-based trade group advocating for the recycling of construction and demolition (C&D) materials. Founded in 1994, the CDRA represents a diverse group of companies from up and down the value chain, including manufacturers of construction materials, recyclers and end users.
CONSTRUCTION WASTE IN THE UNITED STATES
In 2018, the United States generated about 600 million tons of C&D debris, with demolition accounting for 90% and construction the remaining 10%, according to the most recent report from the Environmental Protection Agency. About 455 million tons, or 76%, were recycled or reused, but about 145 million tons were sent to landfills.
For context, that same year, 146 million tons of solid municipal waste ended up in landfills, according to the EPA.
Ward said the CDRA has seen “substantial investments in C&D recycling companies and infrastructure” in recent years, but almost half of all U.S. states still don’t track or report data about C&D debris, making it difficult to measure the impact of recycling efforts.
“Available data is often skewed by unverified – if not fabricated – high project recycling rates reported in the pursuit of prized environmental building certifications,” Ward said. “Much of what’s recycled is from nonresidential demolition activities, generating segregated, heavy material streams with established local end markets, such as concrete, asphalt pavement and metal.”
Mixed C&D debris, coming mostly from construction and renovation activities, has a much lower recovery rate at just 25%, according to the CDRA. Those materials, which include wood, drywall, shingles, flooring and siding, are generated in smaller quantities at more locations and typically are consolidated for sorting at recycling facilities, Ward said.
“Deconstruction or dismantling has become common practice over the old-style wrecking-ball approach of flattening buildings to load up for transport to a landfill,” she said. “This means more careful and strategic planning at the front end of a project. For example, sequencing the removal of interior fixtures and fittings before tackling the structural elements can reduce waste and maximize material recovery.”
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Ward noted that C&D recycling provides economic opportunities for local communities in terms of job creation and lower development costs. In fact, an EPA report showed that recycling C&D materials created 175,000 jobs back in 2012, the most recent figure from the agency. Reusing materials also helps to control the costs of new construction, a key consideration amid elevated costs for building materials.
“Reusing or recycling keeps valuable material circulating in the local economy and offsets the environmental impact associated with the extraction and import of new, virgin materials,” Ward said. “It also helps conserve precious landfill space, which is increasingly costly and scarce in many areas.”
Tolga Tutar, senior sustainability director for New York-based Skanska USA Building, said recycling C&D materials has become increasingly important as volumes have steadily increased. In 2003, for example, the United States generated about 170 million tons of C&D debris, compared with 600 million tons in 2018, according to the EPA.
In addition, the lack of reliable C&D data means that the actual figures for recycling and diversion from landfills “are probably much lower than reported,” Tutar said.
CREATING WASTE-MANAGEMENT PLANS
Still, many construction teams are prioritizing sustainability by developing detailed waste-management plans prior to demolition and construction, he added. Tutar outlined several key steps:
- Conduct pre-demolition audits to identify the types and quantities of materials that can be reused, recycled or that require special handling, such as asbestos. Develop specific strategies to handle all types of waste, including recycling, reuse and disposal.
- Whenever possible, dismantle buildings piece by piece to recover valuable materials such as wood, bricks, metals and fixtures. Separate materials onsite to maximize the opportunities for reuse. Track how much waste is generated, reused and recycled.
- Identify regional partners to minimize transport distances for materials and to repurpose building components for new construction. Local companies and material-recovery facilities also can recycle materials for others purposes, crushing concrete waste to produce aggregate, turning drywall into soil amendment and sending metals to smelters.
- To the extent possible, design for disassembly by creating modular, adaptable structures that can be easily taken apart at the end of their lifespan, reducing waste.
“Repurposing materials plays a crucial role in advancing circularity within the construction industry by keeping valuable resources in use for as long as possible,” Tutar said. “Instead of crushing materials into lower-value products, prioritizing reuse, such as salvaging bricks, wood, steel and fixtures, retains their original value and reduces the demand for virgin resources.
“By designing for disassembly and adaptability, reusing building components and extending the life of materials, the construction industry can significantly reduce its environmental impact,” he added. “Recycling plays a role, but it should come after efforts to keep materials in use through smarter, circular and more sustainable practices.”
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