Construction & Demolition Waste Management 

Construction & Demolition Waste Crisis

In 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson established the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide our nation with housing and community development assistance, yet even with the implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency (established in 1970 by Richard Nixon), the construction and demolition industry is one of the most wasteful industries in the world. However, the hard working industry leaders of construction and demolition companies, (C&D) as well as their crews, are in no way to blame for our past and current state of waste generation in the United States. The statistics on C&D waste generation are due to a lack of policy making, reuse and recycling mandates, and urban planning by the government. According to the Inspector General’s report, Rae Oliver Davis, the misuse, overuse, and inappropriate disposal of construction materials and demolition debris has been in dire need of resource and waste management/planning for decades (FY 2023 Top Management Challenges).

Although The United States Environmental Protection Agency found our construction and demolition industries generated 600 million tons of waste and debris in 2018 alone. According to the EPA (Construction and Demolition Debris: Material-Specific Data | US EPA) 567 million tons of the debris generated in 2018 came from demolition. The 33 million tons of waste generated during construction compared to the 567 million tons of debris from demolition projects seems miniscule, but neither are good. In short more than 90% of construction and demolition debris come from demolition projects. Although we can not change mistakes of the past, thoroughly thought through city, rural, and urban planning could have prevented billions of tons of debris from demolition and trillions of dollars for wasted materials. A massive contribution (71.2 million tons) of concrete was taken to the landfill in 2018, at $60-$75 per ton we threw away over 4.2 billion dollars of materials that could have been recycled. 

There are so many resourceful strategies waiting to be applied and waiting to do so isn’t helping our economy, environment, or our future. Imagine how much industries and tax payers would have saved since 2016 when the Federal Highway Association found that 90% to 100% of asphalt and concrete can be reused and recycled. The NAPA (National Asphalt Pavement Association) estimates that recycling asphalt could save taxpayers over $2.5 billion a year. Of course making sure that as much concrete, wood, brick, metal, and more is correctly recycled and put to use is a hard labor intensive job. This big job would in turn create thousands more job opportunities. Disposing of debris and materials in the landfill instead of recycling ends up costing more, more for your business and more for the taxpayers. I’m sure you've heard of Turner Construction, a success story like no other whose efforts to prioritize recycling and waste reduction saved millions and in many ways gained millions. By implementing waste management programs across their projects was ranked by Engineering News- Records (Turner Construction- Recognized) as the number one general builder and green contractor in the U.S. Economically and environmentally, recycling left over materials and demolition debris is a win for both. As a student with the opportunity to be a part of the construction of tiny homes being built on campus at Elon University, I have seen first hand how easy it is to discard materials rather than set them aside for later use. However, taking that extra step is worth the time, saving not only money but also time in the long run. By putting leftover materials to the side instead of paying to have them transported to the landfill, more than half of those materials will be used later on. This saves time and money on transportation and excess purchase of materials.

I understand that you may be hesitant to implement some changes due to concern about the logistics and accessibility of recycling construction and demolition waste. However with technological advancements and increase in recycling facilities have made the process much more efficient and cost-effective. With over 1,000 recycling facilities in the U.S. to date collaboration with waste management experts and familiarizing ourselves with the recycling standards/protocols has never been easier. In addition to increased accessibility over the years, some state governments have stepped up and offered tax incentives. In Arizona individual workers and C&D industries are eligible for income tax credit equal to 10% of the cost of recycling equipment bought and installed. An excerpt from the U.S. General Services Administration provided a massive saving example from the Rocky Mountain Region, “a plumbing replacement project for the Denver Federal Center produced over 500 porcelain toilets slated for landfill disposal. GSA recycled them, along with debris from the demolition of eight buildings and two concrete slabs, as aggregate. Savings totaled $37,125 - from the recycling of 75,000 tons of material that was used as backfill and road base material on-site. And the community benefited too - by avoiding the traffic and other impacts from the 319 semi-truckloads of material that would have been otherwise transported through their area” (U.S. General Services Administration). 

We can all do our part through our various positions in C&D industries but if we are to make a true difference it is crucial for industry leaders to come together and collaborate. With collaborative initiatives as big as partnerships with recycling facilities and as small as educating one another and sharing our best practices or tips, participating industries will quickly see a return in their investment. By continuing wasteful practices and believing trips to the landfill are a quick and cost effective method of disposal we are only burying ourselves in debris and eventually industrial debt. Over time we have become more mindful as a society to reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible. Overall the construction and demolition industry plays a crucial role in our economy and daily lives, the hard working members of such industries are the backbone of the United States. They are not to blame for the waste generated, but without their help and words of experience nothing will change. We have the power to lead by example, to recycle, and to call on our state and local governments to implement recycling policies, and tax incentives. By doing so, not only can we save money but we can also create a healthier environment and more job opportunities. With your leadership and hard working employees, you have built the communities we cherish and inhabit today, and industry leaders like you will show the world that they are the champions of sustainability and of a brighter future. No one knows how to go about doing so better than you, the leaders of C&D industries, without your wisdom and support our economy and environment will continue to deteriorate. Please, let your voices be heard by your local governments, if they care at all about the success of their community and your industry not just environmentally but economically they will have no issue planning incentives for sustainable construction and the recycling of debris.