Recycling and Reuse Policy for C&D Waste

Justin Green

Program Director

Build It Green!NYC

Build It Green!NYC• Started in March 2005 with $250,000 grant

from Empire State Development Environmental Services Unit

• Non-profit building material reuse center part of larger building energy efficiency non-profit.

• 18,000 sqft warehouse

In 2008• Diverted 450 tons of material• Saved New Yorkers nearly $1 million in

purchase costs• Provided $250,000 in support and materials

to other non-profits

Amount of C&D waste• 135,000,000 tons of C&D waste is generated

annually in the US - not counting transportation infrastructure - EPA, 1998

• Est. 30% of waste landfilled is C&D waste• Waste from an average 2,000-sq. ft. home

adds up to about 8,000 pounds taking up 50 cubic yards of space. - NAHB, 2001

• Each year, 245,000 dwelling units and 44,000 commercial buildings are demolished. - EPA, 1998

How much?

• Enough C&D waste generated in the United States each year to fill a typical city street four feet tall with trash and run that wall from New York City to Los Angeles six times.

C & D RecyclingMaterials recycled• Metal• Glass• Ceiling Tiles• Carpet• Concrete/brick used as fillRecycling as downcycling• Concrete/brick/dirt/Mixed C&D waste used as

Alternative Daily Cover on landfills• Lumber chipped into wood mulch• Drywall processed into soil amendments• Lumber and other C&D waste used as fuel

C & D ReuseMaterials reused• Cabinets• Lumber• Doors• Windows - double paned• Plumbing• Lights• Appliances• Architectural salvage• Flooring

Requires active deconstruction• Lumber & Flooring

Benefits of Recycling/Reuse

• Fewer landfills - less methane• Offsets extract and consumption of virgin

resources - reduces greenhouse gas emissionsAdditional benefits of Reuse and Decon• Higher level job creation and job skills• Higher level of value saved - $1000 a ton• Economic benefits to community for saved

purchase costs• Local - not shipped to overseas for recycling• Preservation of local architecture• Supports proper handling hazardous materials• Supports cradle to cradle design

Drywall Problem

• Hydrogen sulfide may be produced when landfilling gypsum mixed with organics. Hydrogen sulfide is toxic at high concentrations (~1,000 parts per million) and has a foul, rotten-egg odor.

• Incineration: Incineration may produce toxic sulfur dioxide gas. Not incinerated in CA

• U.S. produces approximately 15 million tons of new drywall per year. Approximately 12% of new construction drywall is wasted during installation.

• Most drywall waste is generated from new construction (64%), demolition (14%), manufacturing (12%), and renovation (10%).

A few challenges for NY/NJ CDW

• No regulation/incentive for C&D waste recycling • NYC legislation on commercial recycling not enforced• No waste characterization study C&D waste for region• No outside certification of transfer station recycling rates in NJ/NY• Lack of knowledge of outlets and methods for contractors• Lack education for C&D waste handlers• Changing regulatory environment discourages long term

investment in high quality recycling infrastructure • Cost of labor - increased cost for deconstruction• Lack of space on sites complicates source separation• Fledgling market for reusable materials - reusable materials cannot

be easily resold to recoup cost of salvage• Lack of demand for maximum recycling from developers• Cross state hauling• Lack of recycling and reuse infrastructure

Barriers for reuse/recyling

• Little government support• Low tipping fees• Higher cost of deconstruction • Longer time for deconstruction• Lack of grading system for used lumber• Concern about materials contamination• Lack of differentiation between

demolition and deconstruction in the often lengthy permitting process

• Undeveloped infrastructure

Survey Says! Demo contractors will recycle/reuse when

• C&D recycling is required by law• Recycling is required in more demolition

contracts - need more reuse• Readily available markets for the

materials — such as steel and lumber Secondary reasons• increasing costs of landfill use• incentives awarded for landfill diversion• on-site recycling technology• some even have awareness of

environmental issues

Policy Level

• Unlike MSW or Hazardous Waste, CDW not defined or regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

• CDW Management falls to state

• Most states have no recycling requirements for CDW or staff to monitor

• Construction and demolition waste is a local issue

CDW Recycling Policies • Restricting some CDW from landfills• Requiring construction waste management

plans for all demolition permits• Incentivize high levels of CDW recycling and

reuse for projects with demo fees tied to recycling rates with special reuse credits

• Provide official recycling ratings to processors• Provide support to develop facilities• Tie repermiting to recycling rates• Government purchasing of aggregate and

other recycled content• Government contracts requiring recycling• Eliminate ADC used as recycling rate

CDW Reuse Policy• Requiring pre-demolition salvage periods• Deconstruction permit that would be quicker

and less expensive to obtain than a conventional demolition permit.

• Municipalities could award points for deconstruction and reuse in public projects.

• Provide education, information exchange, and technical assistance to build market.

• Provide waste exchange service, model diversion ordinances, sample specifications, and a waste management plan template.

Ban in Massachusetts• MassDEP’s Beyond 2000 Solid Waste Master

Plan (SWMP) sets a goal of reducing non-municipal solid waste by 88% in 2010

• Ban on asphalt pavement, brick, concrete, metal, wood, cardboard and leaf and yard waste - July 2006

• Acceptable quantity for disposal is 20% or less by volume of container

• Increasing recycling and other diversion of C&D materials supports in-state processing and preserves disposal capacity. 4 new high level recyclers established

California!California has statewide 50% diversion goal

San Jose • Voluntary certification of recycling centers. Facility

rates given certification as recycling center• Deposit required of demolition permit - % returned

upon diversion rate of project

Los Angeles• Voluntary certification of recycling centers. Ongoing

auditing of self-reported diversion rates. Specific diversion rate per facility assigned.

• Haulers taxed $10 per ton on % percentage of materials NOT taken for taken for diversion

Both cities promote certified recyclers and offer support

Chicago Ordinance• 2007 - Chicago began requiring that at least

50 percent of C&D waste be reused or recycled.

• On C&D projects involving at least 10,000 square feet of space, contractors are fined $1,000 for each percentage point that they fall short.

Vermont

• Projects that require a state land use permit (Act 250 Permit) that are over 10,000 square feet are required to develop and file a waste reduction plan.

Other model ordinanceCalifornia Integrated Waste Management

http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/ConDemo/SampleDocs/

LEED Construction Waste Management

• Credit 2.1 (1 point) Recycle and/or salvage at least 50% of C&D waste

• Credit 2.2 (1 point) Recycle and/or salvage an additional 25% (75% total) of C&D waste

Standard LEED practice• Develop and implement a waste management

plan• Quantify material diversion goals• Calculations can be done by weight or

volume

ADC allowed, no special credit for salvage

Source Separation - Save 10% to 20% of disposal costs Recyclables and waste into separate containers

on the job-site as generated. • Metal - Paper/cardboard - Lumber -

Concrete/brick and fill material - Plastics - Lunch cart recyclables - Drywall - Waste

• Most construction occurs in phases which increases the potential of separating

• Separation can even occur within categories– Concrete with rebar is more expensive to recycle

Requires carters to provide separate containersAdditional arrangement for recyclingRequires additional planning, education, and

monitoring.

Mixed container

• On jobsites where space is limited, having fewer recycling containers on site and commingling the recyclables saves space.

• Recycling rate significantly lower than that of source-separation.

• Many materials that could be recycled, such as carpet and ceiling tiles, are disposed of as landfilled.

• Higher rates of ADC

Cost Savings for RecyclingApril 2004 survey NJDEP many materials are

less costly to recycle than disposeAverage Cost to Recycle:• Asphalt debris - $5.70 per ton • Concrete rubble - $4.85 per ton • Used bricks and blocks - $5.49 per ton • Trees and stumps - $37.69 per ton• Wood scrap - $46.43 per tonMetals - Purchased by recyclers depending

on grades and mix• $60 a ton for steel, $500 a ton for copper and

aluminum

Institutional Recycling Network Boston Case study