Recover Your Resources Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Construction and Demolition Materials at Land Revitalization Projects

Wha

t’s

in Your Dumpster?

Don’t waste your resourcesSustainable reuse of brownfield properties includes efforts to reduce the environmental impact by reusing and

recycling materials generated during building construction, demolition, or renovation. Typical construction

and demolition (C&D) materials include wood, drywall, cardboard, brick, concrete, metal, insulation and glass.

Preliminary estimates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that the nation generated more than 160 million tons of building related construction and demolition (C&D) materials in 2003. According to the most recent data available (2003), nearly 53 percent of all building-related C&D materials are the result of demolition activities, 38 percent of the materials are produced by renovation activities, while approximately nine percent are the result of construction. Of the total building-related C&D materials generated, EPA estimates that only 40 percent were reused, recycled, or sent to waste-to-energy facilities, while the remaining 60 percent of the materials were sent to C&D landfills.

There are numerous opportunities to recover and use C&D materials at brownfields and land revitalization sites, including:• Brownfieldsoftenhaveabandonedorunwantedbuildingsonsitein

needofdemolition.Materialsrecoveredcanbereusedonsite,soldthroughlocalmarkets,orrecycledoffsite.

• Brownfieldsarefrequentlylocatedinurbanareasneartransportationhubs.BeingclosetotransportationcorridorsallowsadevelopertoreusecurrentinfrastructureandprovideseasyaccesstopotentialmarketsforC&Dmaterials.

• Renovationornewconstructiononformerbrownfieldsprovidesowners/developers with an opportunity to buy recycled-content building products, return, sell or donate unused building materials, andsendothermaterialsforrecycling.

Several brownfields and land revitalization projects have achieved significantC&Drecoveryratesthroughrecycling,salvageforreuseorresale,composting,andothermethods.TheseC&Dmaterialrecoveryactivities are achieved at lower costs than landfilling, resulting in significantcost-savingsandavoidedassociatedenvironmentalimpacts.Forexample,thedismantlementofNashvilleThermalTransfer,awaste-to-energyfacilityinNashville,TN,resultedin98.5%reuseandrecyclingofitsequipmentandC&Dmaterials.Over100internetauctioneventssoldover1,000tonsofequipmentandmaterials,(bringinginover$980,000inrevenue).Inaddition,thousandsoftonsofcrushedaggregateweretransferredoff-siteforuseasbackfill,andcrushedasphaltwasusedoff-siteforaperimeterroad.

Generation of Construction and Demolition Waste MaterialsC&D materials are generated during new construction, renovation, and demolitionofbuildings,roads,andotherstructures.C&Dmaterialsinclude brick, concrete, masonry, soil, rocks, lumber, paving materials,

Pre-planning• Ensurelocalpoliciesand

regulationssupportand/orpromoteC&Dmaterialsreuse/recyclingactivities

• UsecontractorsexperiencedinC&Dmaterialsreuse/recyclingactivities

• IncorporateC&Dmaterialsreuse/recyclinglanguageinRequestforProposal(RFP)languageandcontractspecifications

Integrate C&D Resource Recovery at Land Revitalization ProjectsPlanning• DevelopC&Drecyclingplan

• Staterecyclinggoals

• Identifymaterialsforrecovery

• Assignrolesandresponsibilities(who,what,when,how)

• Identifymarketsforrecoveredmaterials

Demolition• Salvagematerials

• Deconstructstructurestomaximizequantity/qualityofrecoverableresources

• Linkadeconstructionprojectwithacurrentconstructionorrenovationprojecttofacilitatereuseofsalvagedmaterials

• Sellordonaterecoveredmaterials

• Reuserecoveredmaterialsonsite

• Sendmaterialsforrecyclingoffsite

Wha

t’s

in Your Dumpster?

shingles,glass,plastics,aluminum(includingsiding),steel,drywall,insulation, asphalt roofing materials, electrical materials, plumbing fixtures,vinylsiding,corrugatedcardboard,andtreestumps.Ifproperlyplanned,avastmajorityofC&Dmaterialscanberecoveredthroughreuseandrecycling,whichconservesresourcesandenergy.

What C&D Materials Cannot be Reused or Recycled? Acertainportionofthematerialsfromconstructionanddemolitionprojectsaretoxicorclassifiedashazardouswaste.Materialsgeneratedinnewconstructionthatmayrequirespecialhandlingincludelatexpaint,chemicalsolventsandadhesives.Thematerialsshouldbemanagedaccordingtolocalregulations.Leadpaintcanbe planed, removed, and recycled at a lead smelter or disposed ofappropriately,whiletheremainingwoodcanalsobereusedorrecycled.

Theageofstructuresinvolvedindemolitionprojectsrangesconsiderably.Manyolderbuildingsmaycontainmaterialsthatarenolonger allowed in new construction, such as asbestos and lead-based paint.Asbestosabatementisrequiredpriortodemolition.Asbestosmust be handled appropriately and disposed in a landfill that accepts asbestos-containingmaterial(ACM).ContactyourlandfilltofindoutiftheyacceptACM.

Main C& D Recovery Project Types Deconstruction—A“soft”demolitiontechnique,inwhichworkersdismantleasignificantportionofabuildinginordertomaximizerecoveryofmaterialsforreuseandrecycling.Inorderformaterialstobereusable,theymustberemovedintact(e.g.,windowsandframes,plumbingfixtures,floororceilingtiles)orinlargepieces(e.g.,lumber).

Demolition—Thecompleteremovalofabuilding.Generally,afterextractingeasilyremovablematerialsforreuseorrecycling,workerscompletethedemolitionwithheavyequipment.Additionalrecyclablesareoftensortedfromtherubblegeneratedduringthesedemolitionactivities.Inordertoberecycled,materialsmustbeseparatedfromcontaminants(e.g.,trash,nails,brokenglass).

New Construction—Puttingtogetherallorpartofastructure.Mostconstructionsitedebrisisgeneratedfrompackagingandwhenrawmaterialsarecutorsized.Workerscansavelargescrapsforuseinotherprojects.Durablepackagingandunusedmaterialscanbereturnedtosuppliers.Smallerscrapsandnon-durablepackagingcanbesourceseparatedwhenproducedandrecycled.

Renovation—Partialremovalofabuilding’sinteriorand/orexteriorfollowedbyconstruction.Contractorscanadaptthesamerecoverytechniquesasaboveforrenovationprojects.

Main C&D Recovery StreamsReuse—Manymaterialscanbesalvagedfromdemolitionandrenovationsitesandsold,donated,storedforlateruse,orreusedonthecurrentproject.Typicalmaterialssuitableforreuseincludeplumbing fixtures, doors, cabinets, windows, carpet, brick, light fixtures,ceilingandfloortiles,wood,HVACequipment,anddecorativeitems(includingfireplacesandstonework).

Recycling—MaterialscaneitherberecycledonsiteintonewconstructionoroffsiteataC&Dprocessor.Typicalmaterialsrecycledfrombuildingsitesincludemetal,lumber,asphalt,pavement(fromparkinglots),concrete,roofingmaterials,corrugatedcardboardandwallboard.

Results• Identify/quantifymaterialsdiverted

fromthewastestream

• Calculatecost-savingsandotherbenefits

• Collecttaxcredits,rebates,greenbuildingcertifications,andotherincentivesifapplicable

• Communicate/reportresults

Construction/Renovation• Designbuildingtofacilitatefuturechanges

includingeventualdeconstruction

• Reuseexistingstructurewheneverpossible

• Designforstandardsizebuildingmaterials

• Buyenvironmentallypreferableconstructionmaterials

• Sellordonateunusedbuildingsupplies

• Contractwithsuppliersthatwilltakebackunusedconstructionmaterials

• Sendmaterialsforrecycling

. . . recover them.

For all C&D materials, hazardous or toxic materials should be removed and managed according to local regulations.

Asphalt PavingAsphalt is crushed and recycled back into newasphalt.Marketsforrecycledasphaltpavingincludeaggregatefornewasphalthotmixesandsub-baseforpavedroad.Formoreinformationonrecyclingasphalt,visitwww.arra.org

BuildingsReuselargeportionsofexistingstructuresduringrenovationorredevelopment.Extendingthelifecycleofexistingbuildingstockwillconserve resources, retain cultural resources, reduce waste, and reduce environmental impactsofnewbuildingsastheyrelatetomaterialsmanufacturingandtransport.

Gypsum WallboardRemoveandrecyclegypsumdrywall.Marketsincludenewdrywallmanufacture,cementmanufacture,andagriculture.Unuseddrywallcanbereturnedtoasupplier,donated,orsold.Formoreinformationonrecyclingdrywallvisit,www.drywallrecycling.org

Land Clearing ResidualsTrees and brush—can be recycled as compost or mulch; soil can be reused as fill and cover

Wood Reusetimbers,largedimension lumber, plywood, flooring, molding, lumber longerthan6feet.Clean,untreated wood can be recycled, re-milled into flooring, or chipped/ground to make engineeredboard,boilerfuel,andmulch.

Metals Recyclemetalsfoundataconstruction,demolition,orrenovationsites.Commonmetalsincludesteel,aluminum,andcopper.Localmetal scrap yards or recyclers that accept metal materialsaretypicallyaccessible.Metalsaremelteddownandreformedintometalproducts.Marketsarewellestablishedformetals.Formoreinformationonrecyclingmetalvisitwww.isri.organdwww.recycle-steel.org.

Commonly Recovered C&D Materials

Wha

t’s

in Your Dumpster?

Architectural SalvageSalvageforresaleandreuse,doorsanddoorframes,windows,structuralsystems,millwork,fixtures,andothermaterials.Woodstructuralsystemsratehighlyforend-of-lifereusepotential.Oldmillbuildingsframedwithlargewoodtimbersarenowtreasuretrovesofmaterialfornewconstruction.Marketsarewellestablishedandeasilyaccessible.

For all C&D materials, hazardous or toxic materials should be removed and managed according to local regulations.

Asphalt ShinglesRecycleasphaltshingles.Aftertheremovalofnails,asphaltshinglescanbe ground and recycled into asphalt mixes.Formoreinformationonrecyclingasphaltshingles,visitwww.shinglerecycling.org

BrickReusecleanbrickinhistoricalrestorationprojects.Recyclecleanbrickbycrushingmaterial.Marketoutletsforrecycledbrickincludeaggregate,drainagemedia,andgeneralfill.

Roofing (non-asphalt shingles) Reusesheathing,terracotta,slate,oruntreatedcedartiles.Metalmaterialscanalsoberecycled.

ConcreteConcreteiscommonlyrecycled.Itiscrushed,thereinforcementbarisremoved,andthematerialisscreenedforsize.Marketoutletsforrecycledconcrete include road base, general fill, pavement aggregate, and drainagemedia.Formoreinformationonrecyclingconcretevisitwww.concreterecycling.org

Richmond, VATheformerLucentRichmondWorksfacility,a120-acreRCRAfacility,wasfencedoffandleftidle,leavingbehindover700,000squarefeetofoldanddilapidatedmanufacturingbuildings.Withcoordinationbetweenthedeveloper,theprevioussiteowner,EPA,andtheVirginiaDepartmentofEnvironmentalQuality,thepropertyisbeingrevitalizedinto The Shops of White Oak Village,adevelopmentthatwillfeatureseveral restaurants, a hotel, national retail stores, and several regional andlocalspecialtyshops.Afterdemolishingtheexistingonsitebuildings,thedeveloperdiverted84,500tonsofmaterialfromlandfills,achievinga93percentoverallrecyclingrate.Accordingtotheproject’sdemolitioncontractor,theamountofmaterialsdivertedfromlandfillscouldhavefilledtwoRichmondColiseums.Cost-savingsassociatedwithrecyclingandreuseofdemolitionmaterialsareestimatedtobeapproximately$3.6million.ThedeveloperisnowapplyingforLeadershipinEnergyandEnvironmentalDesign(LEED)certificationfromtheU.S.GreenBuildingCouncil,furtherdemonstratingacommitmenttosustainabledevelopment.Formoreinformationonthisproject, please visit: www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/ca/va/pdf/vad066000993.pdf

EPA C&D Recycling Success Stories

Emeryville, CAInJuly2003,theCityofEmeryvilleprovided$1,175,000inEPABrownfieldsRevolvingLoanfundstoGreenCityLLCtoassistwithcleanupcostsassociatedwiththeGreenCityLoftsproperty,aformerpaintfactory.TheGreenCityLoftsprojectteamcompletedcleanupofthe0.9-acrepropertyinDecember2004and62condominiumswereconstructedin2005.Demolitionoftheformerpaintfactoryandwarehousebuildingswasnecessarybeforeconstructionoftheloftscouldbegin.TheprojectteamemployedC&Dwasterecyclingpracticesincludingdeconstructing(handdismantling)thebuildingsontheformerindustrialpropertyasanalternativetotraditionaldemolition.As a result, 94.6 percent of the demolition waste was recycled,exceedingthenearbyCityofOakland’slegalrequirementby45percent.Inaddition,21,569tonsofexcavatedsoilweredivertedfromdisposalandusedasBeneficialCoveratalocalClassIILandfillreducingprojectcostbyanestimated$496,708ineliminatedtippingfees.Formoreinformationonthisproject,pleasevisit: www.epa.gov/brownfields/success/emeryvilleca_cd_ss_final.pdf

Underground Storage TanksTheUndergroundStorageTanksProgramsupports States, territories, and other partnersinthecleanupandreuseofproperties contaminated by petroleum releasesfromundergroundstoragetanksand works to better integrate eligible petroleum brownfields into ongoing restoration/revitalizationactivities.

Federal FacilitiesTheFederalFacilitiesRestorationandReuseProgramworkswithother Federal and state agencies to facilitatethecleanupandreuseofthenation’sSuperfundFederalfacilities,includingBaseRealignmentandClosure(BRAC)sites.

Brownfields Cleanup and RedevelopmentEPA’sBrownfieldsProgramempowersstates,communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together to prevent, assess,safelycleanup,andsustainablyreusebrownfields.TheBrownfieldsProgramprovidestechnical and financial assistance, including grantsforenvironmentalassessment,cleanup,andjobtraining.

www.epa.gov/brownfields/ www.epa.gov/fedfac/ www.epa.gov/swerust1/

Detroit, MIInDecember2005,thecleanupofatwo-acreformerautomotivepropertyinDetroit,MichiganwasmadepossiblethroughtheleadershipofalocalnonprofitorganizationandfundingassistanceprovidedbyEPA,in-kindservices,andC&Dwasterecyclingactivities.Workingwithinatightbudget,Focus: HOPERevitalizationconducteddemolitionandcleanupactivitiesonthebrownfieldspropertyforitsintendedreuseasaparkinglotforaplannedmixed-usedevelopmentontheadjacentproperty.Largely,theC&Dwasterecyclingactivitiesmadetheprojectfeasiblebyreducingthetotalprojectcostby20percent,asavingsof$150,000,throughtherecyclingofapproximately1,200tonsofmaterialsandover13,000gallonsofwastewater.Asaresult,theproperty’sreuseprovidedacatalysttorevitalizationinthesurroundingneighborhood.Formoreinformationonthisproject,please visit: www.epa.gov/brownfields/success/Detroit_MI_Success_012808.pdf

Worcester, MAInJune2003,EPAawardedMainSouthCommunityDevelopmentCorporation(CDC)inWorchester,Massachusettsa$200,000BrownfieldsCleanupgranttoaddresscontaminationdiscoveredon7.8acresoftheGardner-Kilby-HammondNeighborhoodRevitalizationProject—anambitious$32milliondollar,30-acreinnercityneighborhoodredevelopmentproject.Cleanupofcontaminationpresent in the soil and the abandoned industrial buildings was completedinMarch2006.TohelpkeepcleanupcostswithinMainSouthCDC’sbudget,McConnellEnterprisesrecoveredmultipleconstructionanddemolition(C&D)materialsfromtheabandonedindustrialbuildings,including: 10,000cubicfeetofconcrete,200tonsofsteel,50,000broadfeetofhardyellowpine,andseveralhundredtonsofbrickandgranite.Salvagedmaterialsweresoldthroughlocalandglobalmarkets,reusedonsitefornewconstruction,orrecycled,strengtheningthelocalmarketforC&Dmaterials.MainSouthCDCwasabletoreduceprojectcostssignificantlyasaresultofitsC&Dwastereductionstrategies.EarlyplanningandaphasedapproachtothecleanupanddevelopmentofthepropertyalsoallowedforamajorphaseoftheGardner-Kilby-HammondNeighborhoodRevitalizationProjecttomoveforward:theconstructionofaBoysandGirlsClubandaffordablehousingforfirst-timehomebuyers.Formoreinformationonthis project, please visit: www.epa.gov/brownfields/success/worcester050108.pdf

SuperfundTheSuperfundProgrammanagescleanupsofthenation’suncontrolledhazardouswastesitesthatposeacurrentorfuturethreattohumanhealthortheenvironment.EPA’sSuperfundRedevelopmentProgram encourages communities at every cleanup sitetoconsideranticipatedfuturereusesearlysothat cleanups can accommodate those uses, while maintaining standards that protect human health and theenvironment.

RCRA Corrective ActionTheResourceConservationandRecoveryAct(RCRA)CorrectiveActionProgramrequirestheinvestigationandcleanupofhazardousreleasesatoperatingfacilities.TheRCRAReuseandBrownfieldsPreventionInitiativeencouragesthereuseandrevitalizationofRCRAsitessothatthelandbetterservestheneedsofthecommunitythroughmoreproductiveuseorasgreenspace.

www.epa.gov/swerosps/rcrabf/ www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/recycle/

Wha

t’s

in Your Dumpster?Benefits to C&D Recycling

Expanding Markets for Deconstruction Materials It’sgettingeasiertofindhomesforyourdeconstructionmaterialsandusedequipment.Manydeconstructionitemscanbereused“asis.”Severalcitiesnowhavestoresthatacceptandreselldonatedsurplusbuildingmaterialsanddeconstructionmaterials.ForinstanceHabitatforHumanityruns“HabitatReStores”whichareretailoutletswherequalityusedandsurplusbuildingmaterialsaresoldatafractionofnormalprices.ManyaffiliatesacrosstheUnitedStatesandCanadaoperatesuccessfulReStores.Thereareseveralotherindependentstoresaswell.Somecompanieshavefounditusefultoopenupabuildingslatedfordemolition,partneringwithnon-profitsorothergroupstocollect“deconstruction”items.Therearealsoanumberofauctionorclassifiedadtypewebsiteswherepeoplecansell,donate,oradvertisetheneedformaterialsandusedindustrialequipment.FormoreinformationonHabitatReStores,pleasevisit,www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx.OthersimilarreusestoresandonlinematerialsexchangescanbefoundintheBuildingMaterialsReuseAssociation’sdirectory: www.buildingreuse.org.

• Reducestheproductionofgreenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants by reducing the need to extract raw materials and ship new materials long distances.

• Conserveslandfillspace, reduces theneedfornewlandfills and their associatedcost.

• Savesenergyand reduces the environmental impactofproducing new materials through avoided extraction andmanufacturingprocesses.

• Createsemployment opportunities and economic activities in recycling industries.

• Savesmoneybyreducing project disposal costs, transportation costs, and the costofsomenew construction materials by recycling old materialsonsite.

United States Office of Solid Waste EPA-560-F-09-523Environmental Protection and Emergency October 2009Agency Response (5105T) www.epa.gov

Resources• EPAConstructionandDemolition—www.epa.gov/cdmaterials

• ConstructionIndustryComplianceAssistanceCenter—www.cicacenter.org

• BuildingMaterialReuseAssociation—www.buildingreuse.org

• ConstructionMaterialRecyclingAssociation—www.cdrecycling.org

• NationalRecyclingCoalition,IndustrialMaterialsRecyclingCouncil— www.industrialresourcescouncil.org/

• NationalDemolitionAssociation—www.demolitionassociation.com

•  EPAIndustrialMaterialsRecycling—www.epa.gov/industrialmaterials PrintedonRecycledMaterials