Building A Future for Construction Debris

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Building A Future for Construction Debris

• How ten home builders recycled the equivalent of
  two acres of trees.

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WasteCap Wisconsin

• A private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization
• Mission to provide waste reduction and recycling
  assistance through demonstration, education and
  networking for the benefit of business and the
  environment
• Target Materials Construction and Demolition
  Debris, Food Waste, Computers and Other
  Electronics

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Why CD Debris?

• In 1995, there was more construction and
  demolition debris generated in Wisconsin than
  residential, municipal solid waste.
• Nationally, the EPA estimates that 136 million
  tons of CD debris are generated each year.

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Step 1 - Partnerships

• Metropolitan Builders Association of Greater
  Milwaukee (MBA)
• Madison Area Builders Assn (MABA)
• Green Built Homes program
• They asked WasteCap Wisconsin to develop, monitor
  and measure results of a recycling program for
  the participating builders

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Step 2 - Sponsors

• American Forest Paper Association
• American Plastics Council
• Kohler Company
• Miller Brewing Company
• VerHalen/Pella Windows

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Step 3 Identify Target Materials

• We met with and asked the builders
• What do you generate large quantities of?
• Of those materials, what can you most easily
  separate?
• We also looked for materials with existing
  recycling markets.

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Step 4 Develop Recycling Plan

• MBA
• - Time-based management approach
• Wood - first six weeks
• Cardboard - last six weeks
• Containers at each house
• Assn. paid for recycling containers IF they
  remained recycling containers

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Develop Recycling Plan

• MABA
• Modified time-based mgmt. approach
• Shared trash and recycling containers for all
  builders
• Builders share costs
• Haulers use their experience/expertise to
  determine the size/kind of container

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Step 5 Send Out Request for Proposals

• WasteCap Wisconsin and the Associations wrote
  request for proposals
• Request included
• Material types
• Quantities
• Timing
• Location
• Selected Haulers

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Step 6 - Education

• Buy-in from builders before the program
• Joint information from the Assn. and WasteCap to
  each of the builders
• To announce the recycling haulers
• Near the beginning of the building cycle
• Near the end of the building cycle
• Educational materials were brief and focused

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Education/monitoring

• Hauling contracts included education
• Labeling/placement of recycling containers was
  emphasized and checked
• WasteCap staff conduct site visits

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Education - Subcontractors

• The builders took on the responsibility of
  educating the subcontractors.
• Interviews with subcontractors The wood goes
  here. The trash goes here. We can handle this.
• Cardboard recycling is more of a challenge than
  wood due to number of subcontractors/materials on
  site.

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Step 7 - Measure Results

• Builders
• Haulers
• WasteCap
• Associations

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Results

• Wood and cardboard constitute an average of 50
  of the residential construction waste stream in
  Wisconsin The builders recycled 46 of their
  construction debris.
• Wood Recycled 49.5 tons. 330 cubic yards.
• Cardboard Recycled 2.9 tons. 97.5 cubic yards.
• MBA - Total 52.4 tons of wood and cardboard
  recycled. 427.5 cubic yards.

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Results

• The wood recycled was enough to build four
  average-sized homes (2120 ft2).
• The wood and cardboard recycled is the equivalent
  of 376 trees (or two acres).
• According to information from the USDA Forest
  Products Lab

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8. Celebrate Success

• Signs for each builders home with results
• Talk Tour hosted by the Metropolitan Builders
  Association of Greater Milwaukee
• www.wastecapwi.org
• wastecap_at_wastecapwi.org
• 414-961-1100