A Pollution Prevention Guide for Building Construction and Demolition

Building Construction and Demolition

Companies involved in the construction or demolition of buildings produce a variety of wastes, including the following:

Whatever the nature and characteristics of the waste may be, it all has one thing in common. All waste represents loss of resources and loss of money.

Your company can benefit in a number of ways from reducing the amount of waste it needs to dispose of. The benefits include:

• reduced waste disposal costs
• reduced long-term liability
• preservation of environmental quality
• improved workplace safety and health
• projection of a positive public image

Building construction and demolition projects pose unique challenges in the area of waste management. Since each project is different, generating its own unique combination of wastes, the project manager must be flexible and creative in findings ways to reduce, reuse, or recycle the various types of waste.

Managing construction and demolition wastes can constitute a significant cost to the business. Some wastes, such as asbestos and refrigerants, require careful and perhaps expensive handling techniques in order to avoid endangering public health or environment. Even non-hazardous wastes must be properly managed to ensure safe handling and disposition.

Waste Reduction Techniques

Waste reduction -- decreasing the quantity and/or toxicity of waste being disposed of -- is the most effective way to minimize the losses associated with waste. Here are some techniques for cutting down on waste generation:

• When clearing land for development, leave as many trees and shrubs in place as possible. Trees, stumps, branches, and other vegetative matter, once cut down, are solid waste requiring proper handling at considerable cost.
• Keep waste streams separate to increase their potential for reuse, recycling, or treatment, or to reduce disposal costs. Some materials, if kept separate, may be easily reusable or recyclable; combination with other materials may limit their usability or make them difficult or expensive to dispose of. For example:
• Combining hazardous and non-hazardous waste results in all of the waste needing to be treated as hazardous.
• Asbestos waste, while not classified as hazardous, requires special handling, in accordance with Delaware’s Regulations Governing the Control of Air Pollution. Allowing non-asbestos waste to become contaminated with asbestos will greatly increase the time and expense involved in handling the waste. Handle all asbestos-containing waste carefully so as to avoid contamination of non-asbestos waste.
• Some types of construction and demolition wastes fall under the category of “clean fill” as defined in Delaware’s Regulations Governing Solid Waste. Clean fill includes such materials as rock, soil, gravel, concrete, broken glass, and/or clay or ceramic products. Such materials may be used as fill in a variety of situations, with no solid waste permit or approval required, provided there is no violation of other regulations.
• Some other construction and demolition wastes -- such as plastics, rubber, lumber, trees, stumps, vegetative matter, asphaltic products -- are categorized as “dry waste”. Dry waste can be taken to a dry waste disposal or resource recovery facility, rather than a sanitary landfill, at a significantly lower tipping fee.

For more information about regulations pertaining to asbestos waste, contact:

Air Resources Section-Air Quality Management
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
(302)739-4791 or (302)323-4540

For more information about regulations pertaining to clean fill and dry waste, contact:

Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Branch
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
(302)739-3689

Practice good inventory control, so as to prevent materials from becoming waste unnecessarily.

• Inspect raw materials upon delivery, and immediately return unacceptable materials to the supplier. Label containers of materials as they are received, and date containers holding perishable materials so that the first material received will be the first to be used.
• Protect materials from deterioration. Store them in covered areas if they are subject to degradation by rainwater or sunlight. Materials that could be ruined by dirt or dust should be stored away from high traffic areas.

 When choosing supplies for a job, select those products that will produce the least amount of waste, or the least toxic waste. A good example is paint. Oil-based paints contain organic solvents, which can make the leftover paint a hazardous waste. Water-based (latex) paint is both safer to user and easier to dispose of. Also look for paint that doesn’t contain metal pigments, as these also can make the paint waste hazardous.

Reusing Materials

Various materials resulting from demolition activities can be used again in new construction projects rather than disposed of. Some reusable items are:

• bricks and blocks
• doors and windows
• plumbing fixtures and pipes (provided they don’t contain lead)
• electrical fixtures and wiring

 When beginning a demolition job, evaluate the site before beginning the work; plan to remove reusable items and keep them separate from other demolition materials.

Before beginning a construction job, evaluate the materials that will be needed. Make an effort to locate and purchase previously used materials whenever possible.

Recycling

Many materials generated in building demolition can be processed in some way and the used as a raw material in construction projects or for other purposes. Here are some examples of recyclable demolition materials:

• Aluminum. All aluminum is recyclable, but only about 15% of the aluminum used in construction gets recovered and recycled. Recylers and the aluminum industry will buy any aluminum items you bring them.
• Other metals. Scrap metal dealers have been in the recycling business for years. Metal is a valuable recyclable material.
• Wood. There are numerous possible uses for old wood, including such things as mulching or chipping for use in landscaping or gardening, or as fuel. Delaware’s Pollution Prevention and Compliance Assistance Program (739-6400) in DNREC can provide a list of companies that recycle wood-waste.
• Asphalt. Old asphalt can be recycled. A new asphalt mixture can contain up to 10% of old asphalt milled from road construction or roofing shingles.
• Concrete. Waste concrete -- the single largest category of demolition waste -- can be crushed and used as an aggregate or a base material. A very small percentage of waste concrete (probably less than 5%) is currently being recycled in the U.S.

Sources of Additional Help

This Guide is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all of the techniques that could be used to reduce waste at demolition or construction sites. Each job will be different, presenting its own opportunities for waste reduction. A number of resources are available to help you develop and implement a program that will meet your company’s individual needs:

• The Northeast Industrial Waste Exchange may be able to help you find companies that can use your waste or that can supply you with previously used materials at a lower cost that virgin materials. The Exchange maintains listings of “available” and “wanted” materials (primarily chemicals, but also numerous other materials. The Exchange maintains listings of “available” and “wanted” materials (primarily chemicals, but also numerous other materials, including construction and demolition materials) Delaware businesses are eligible for free listings catalogs; you can obtain one from the Exchange directly (315-422-6572.)
• The American Institute of Constructors (813-578-0317), The National Association of Home Builders of the United States (202-822-0200), and the National Association of Demolition Contractors (708-449-5959) are three national organizations that may be able to provide additional helpful information to construction and demolition companies interested in reducing their wastes and costs.
• The Pollution Prevention and Compliance Assistance Program (739-6400), a non-regulatory program in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, can provide more information about waste reduction strategies and opportunities, including help in locating markets for some types of construction and demolition waste.

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

This publication is one of a series of pollution prevention guides for various types of businesses. For more information on this and other pollution prevention or waste minimization programs, contact the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control at 739-6400.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is an equal opportunity employer. No person or group shall be excluded from participation denied any benefits, or subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, or handicap.

Last Updated: May 28, 2002

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