About Construction & Demolition Debris
People think of garbage and household garbage -- or municipal solid waste (MSW) -- comes to mind. Construction and demolition waste, however, accounts for even more of our waste stream, plus it is far more easily recyclable than regular garbage.
What’s more, because C&D waste contains only the smallest amounts of food (a few bites of a burger tossed out by a construction worker), the waste is very clean and produces little odor.
Where construction and demolition waste comes from
Construction and Demolition Debris, or C&D, comes from demolition (50%), renovation (40%), and new construction (the rest) (Source: EPA).
Why is construction and demolition waste so easily recyclable?
C&D is comprised of materials that can be easily reused and recycled. The most common materials found in C&D includes: Cardboard / Paper Carpet • Concrete • Dirt • Metal • Plastics • Reusable Materials • Wallboard • Wood
How much debris are we talking about?
The EPA estimated in 1996 that C&D is generated at a rate of 2.8 lbs/person/day (PDF Report). However, this calculation did not include any C&D from road and bridge construction.
- According to the EPA study, scrap from residential construction sites typically represents between 6 and 8 percent of the total weight of the building material delivered to the site, excluding the foundation, concrete floors, driveways and patios. Also, new homes averaged 2,100 square feet by 1995, the EPA said, up from 1,600 square feet just 20 years before.
- A more holistic accounting of C&D generation rates in 2003 determined that the US creates 250 to 350 million tons of C&D, which translates to 4.72 to 6.61 lbs/person/day, which is more than the volume of household waste. (source: Waste News)
- National C&D recycling rate hit 59% in 2003 with goal of 65% by 2011 (source: EPA)
Why Recycle C&D?
Unlike regular garbage, C&D cannot be burned for energy. Disposal into landfills is quite common, but this creates significant environmental problems. Landfills are not only major sources of soil and water pollution, but they also produce significant quantities of the greenhouse gas methane.
Compare the management options for C&D:
- Build new landfills and incinerators. Difficult and expensive.
- Continue heavy exports. As capacity wanes, prices spike. Shipping waste further provides capacity but at heavy cost due to transportation.
- Increase recycling. Simple, cost-effective, Environmentally sustainable.