Recycling/Reusing C&D Materials

The following case studies describe how contractors reused and/or recycled C&D Materials from construction, renovation, and demolition projects. All case studies describe the costs saved and materials diverted, as well as the size and type of project.

Non–Residential Buildings

Presidio of San Francisco, Building 901 Deconstruction
The deconstruction of this 8,100 square foot building led to a recovery of over 65,000 board feet of wood and a net profit of $20,000.

Building Savings: Strategies for Waste Reduction of Construction and Demolition Debris from Buildings PDF
Published in June 2000, this document profiles projects that were "record-setters" in C&D materials reduction and recovery. The publication was produced by Institute for Local Self Reliance with funding from EPA.

Not Your Typical Compost Feedstock
Aspen Skiing Company deconstructed two buildings, resulting in a diversion of 84% of the C&D materials from the landfill and $42,000 in avoided disposal costs.

Alliant Energy Headquarters: Construction & Demolition ProjectPDF
A Madison, Wisconsin project that cut waste disposal costs by 33% and waste volume by 75%.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company: Product Development Center Office ExpansionPDF
An office building expansion project that saved over $10,000 in avoided disposal costs and diverted 76% of the construction waste.

Affiliated Engineers Incorporated Construction ReportPDF
A Madison, Wisconsin project that recycled 75% of C&D materials and did not increase its disposal costs.

Madison Gas & Electric - West Campus Cogeneration FacilityPDF
An effective and efficient recycling program led to a 75% recycling rate, saving the project over $100,000.

County Stadium, Miller Park
A Wisconsin project that recycled 30,000 tons of concrete, saving the project $1.2 million (roughly 60% of the total project cost).

St. Mary's Hospital - Demolition Reuse and RecyclingPDF
In order to construct St. Mary's Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, nine homes had to be relocated and other buildings were demolished and recycled. The result was a recycling rate of 95%, resulting in a savings of $200,000.

Residential Buildings

Building Deconstruction: Reuse and Recycling of Building Materials, Alachua County Solid Wastes Management Innovative Recycling Project Program PDF
Deconstruction of six houses in Florida during 1999-2000 to examine the cost effectiveness of deconstruction and salvage when compared to traditional demolition.

Salvage Operation
A deconstruction pilot project to determine cost-effective methods to remove lumber and other materials from an abandoned house.

Source Reduction in Residential Remodeling: The Las Alturas Adobe PDF
In this home remodel, 86% of the materials were recycled resulting in a savings of $830.

Brownfields

Lucent Richmond Works Facility PDF
The conversion of property from manufacturing buildings in Richmond, Virginia into a mixed-use development, The Shops of White Oak Village, diverted 93% of materials from the landfill and saved the project an estimated $3.6 million.

GreenCity Lofts PDF
A project involving the demolition of an old paint factory and construction of lofts resulted in a 95% diversion rate of C&D materials from the landfill, saving the project almost $500,000.

Focus: HOPE Revitalization PDF
A former automotive property was revitalized, recycling 1,200 tons of C&D materials and saving the project $120,000.

Reusing/Recycling Materials At the Job site

On-Site Grinding of Residential Construction Debris: The Indiana Grinder Pilot PDF
Prepared by NAHB Research Center, this 1999 report documents a pilot project conducted to determine the feasibility of onsite grinding of clean wood, drywall, and cardboard waste from new residential construction as an alternative to conventional landfilling. The report includes information on how to identify and assess the major technological, economic, and environmental factors associated with the grinding technique.

Recycled Concrete Aggregate as Base Course PDF
Recycled Materials Company, Inc. (RMCI), operating as subcontractor to Pavers, Inc. of Salina, Kansas, processed 40,000 tons of concrete runways for reuse as base course (sub base) for new runways at Herington Regional Airport in Herington, Kansas.

Other C&D Materials Case studies

Deconstruction Institute Case Studies

Recycled Concrete Aggregate in Ready Mix PDF
Rentech, Inc. first contracted a local firm existing concrete at the site and haul it (for recycling) to a nearby recycle center. More than 1,000 tons of concrete was removed from the project and processed for later re-use at another location (existing concrete could not be processed on-site at Rentech, Inc. due to lack of space on-site).

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