About Construction Waste Recycling

Each year the construction industry produces more than 300 million tons of waste which has to be disposed of, usually in landfill. Construction waste recycling is another method of handling the recoverable part of this waste. This helps to lessen the inevitable pollution of soil and water from the products used on a typical construction site.

Construction items that may be recycled

Doors and windows, items used for packaging including cardboard and plastic, aluminum and other metals, and plastic sheeting all may be dropped off for recycling. As with regular household trash, materials that can be recycled must be segregated from those that cannot be. It should also be clearly labeled for pickup. An attempt should be made to recover excess bricks and cinderblocks for use in other construction projects, or to see if a supplier will accept their return.

Principles for recycling construction waste

The most important principle is to always order materials in the right quantity in order to minimize waste. While this is not always possible, it should be a priority for an environmentally conscious contractor. An effort should also be made to re-use or to donate as much of the unused materials as possible.

Planning to reduce waste

From the very earliest stages of a construction project, the prevention of waste should be a main goal. The use of computer software in the design process can help in this regard by planning the use of drywall and lumber more efficiently. Using standard sizes in the design will help to reduce the need to cut items into smaller sizes, thus lowering waste. It may also be possible in some instances to request or to purchase building materials with minimal packaging, thus eliminating a large portion of waste from the typical construction site.