A guide to green demolition Birmingham AL

Edited by Loren Faulkner

Although green design and construction has been much talked about the past few years, one part of green building is not mentioned as often: green methods used during the demolition phase of a construction project. Many U.S. cities require ? or strongly encourage ? contractors to minimize the amount of construction and demolition material being sent to the landfill.

In response to state regulations, many communities are using ordinances requiring construction firms to submit recycling plans for their construction projects and to report the amount of materials disposed of and recycled.

In San Diego, for example, the city council recently approved an ordinance designed to improve recycling use. The ordinance makes it mandatory for each qualifying site to divert at least 50 percent of its waste to a recycling center.

By providing contractors with recycling programs and access to facilities, recycling and waste removal companies around the nation have made it easier for contractors to dispose of their waste responsibly. When recycling facilities increase, so will the mandatory recycling rates. Companies offering recycling and waste collection services usually are aware of the state regulations and can help contractors and property owners meet their "green demo" goals.

Defining "Clean" (Recyclable) Construction Waste

When potentially recyclable waste materials are separated from "contaminating" debris, the recyclable material is considered clean. For example, contractors that extract fluorescent light fixtures from an existing building typically have them processed in order to separate the potentially hazardous waste ? the florescent bulbs and ballast ? from recyclable materials, plastics and metal. Although the process of light bulb recycling is relatively expensive (approximately $6 per fixture) due to the required processing and hazardous material disposal fees, it is a vital step in proper green demolition.

After extracting the clean material from the job site, the remaining mixed waste material (construction waste collected together with debris and/or contaminants) is either transported to a landfill, or is taken to a waste transfer facility to be sorted.

Green Demo Saves Green

Along with environmental benefits, recycling construction and demolition waste can have potential cost savings. Usually, waste hauled to a landfill requires expensive "tip" fees to cover the cost of burying the material with municipal trash. But facility-use fees at recycling sites are less than half that of landfill rates, and cover the cost of processing the material into saleable materials, such as aggregate or compost, making it a win-win for both the contractor and the environment.

Earning LEED Points for Green Demolition

Another benefit of green demolition is that it's a fairly inexpensive and effortless way for property owners and developers to earn coveted LEED points. Following are the requirements for LEED demolition points based on the Commercial Interiors v2.0 ? MR (Materials & Resources) Section; Construction Waste Management:

Credit 2.1 and 2.2 involve diverting construction, demolition and land clearing debris from landfills. These credits represent meaningful criteria towards a project's LEED certification, since both credits are worth one point each. Credit 2.1 is achieved when 50 percent of the construction, demolition and packaging materials is salvaged and/or recycled. Credit 2.2 is achieved when 75 percent of the construction, demolition and packaging materials is salvaged and/or recycled. Note that the point for Credit 2.2 is in addition to the point obtained for Credit 2.1.

What Types of Construction Materials Can You Recycle?

• Concrete
• Asphalt
• Dirt and rock
• Wood waste
• Metal, including metal siding, pipe, storage sheds, old appliances, etc.
• Landscape waste, including tree limbs, brush, ivy, Christmas trees, etc.
• Carpet (through the manufacturer)