Construction and Demolition Materials

I found an interesting article about the typical composition of construction and demolition materials. What I find interesting about this composition of C&D materials is the vast majority of it could be recycled. The following is a breakdown by percentage based on volume.

25% Clean Lumber
13% Plywood
7% Painted or Treated Wood
7% Pallets
10% Scrap Metal
7% Asphalt Shingles
7% Furniture & Cabinetry
6% Drywall
4% Dirt, Rock & Stumps
4% Brick, Concrete & Block
2% Plastics
1% Paper & Textiles
7% Other

Even if contractors only recycled the clean wood that would be a reduction of 25% by volume that goes into landfills each year. From what I can see over 50% of C&D could be recycled fairly easily. Keep this in mind next time you start a major construction project. We are planning on having a separate container on-site for clean wood for our next major project.

3 Comments Already

Marissa Said,

July 15th, 2008 @10:06 pm

I know little about construction, but I’ve been impressed by your consistently common sense, practical approach to eco-solutions in the construction industry. Anytime a stranger to the industry can grasp the concepts you’re promoting, I think you’re doing well at explaining it. Looking forward to more!

greg Said,

August 19th, 2008 @9:11 pm

We tore down our house to build a LEED Certified home. One of the areas where we found the least amount of information was in Green Deconstruction. We talk about what we did in our blog at http://www.greenlabron.com. It’s easier than most people think if you can find the right companies (and if you use CraigsList a lot!). It just takes some extra effort and time.

Todd Said,

August 19th, 2008 @9:14 pm

@ Greg – Craigslist is a great place to recycle C&D material. We gutted our first home and I gave away windows, toilets, tubs, sinks, you name it. I think reducing the amount of C&D waste that enters our landfills is one of the most important steps in green construction.