Demolition Convention: Managing the C&D Debris Stream

Many environmental and economic factors are driving an increase in interest C&D debris recycling, according to Dr. Kimberly Cochran of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Solid Waste, who addressed attendees of a session on national initiatives addressing C&D recycling at the National Demolition Association Annual Convention, held recently in Las Vegas.

Oil prices driving up the cost of asphalt, green building initiatives and overall efforts to decrease greenhouse gas emissions have all lead to an increased emphasis on recovery and recycling debris from construction and demolition sites, Cochran said. State governments are getting involved, from Massachusetts, which has banned certain C&D materials from landfills, to California, which requires 50 percent of C&D debris to be diverted from landfill.

Cochran outlined a number of programs and initiatives to increase C&D recycling. For example, she discussed the E.P.A’s Industrial Materials Recycling Team, which seeks to measure recycling, identify barriers, increase awareness of the issue and recognize successful efforts. Cochran shared results of a 2003 survey that found the demolition of buildings in that year generated approximately 160 million tons of C&D debris and realized a 40-percent recycling rate. The survey also found that road surface projects generated 170 million tons of debris with an 88-percent recycling rate.

Cochran said the Industrial Materials Recycling Team is currently working with the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) on a measurement tool to allow companies to measure how much they are recycling and what savings those efforts are generating.

The EPA is also working on programs to address the recovery and recycling of C&D debris generated in disaster scenarios. Disasters, both natural and man-made, leave behind thousands of tons of debris, many of which are recoverable materials like appliances, wood and structural steel. Disasters also leave behind tons of more problematic materials, such as drywall, spoiled food and treated wood. The E.P.A, along with several other organizations, are working on various initiatives addressing the issue. Julie Gevrenov, of the E.P.A’s Region Five office discussed some of the programs. “In 90 percent of disasters, there is no federal presence,” she said. “So we need these initiatives.”

Gevrenov discussed the Disaster Debris Recovery Network, a project being piloted in the E.P.A Region Five, with the goal of providing support tools to first responders to disasters. This program is designed to provide first responders information to help them identify who in a given geographic area can help with the management of debris in the wake of a disaster. 

The organization is planning to develop a database that would include company names, contact information and other important information, such as what materials the company is capable of handling, as a reference tool for first responders, Gevrenov said.

More information is available at www.epa.gov.

The National Demolition Association Convention was held Feb. 24-27 at the Mirage in Las Vegas. More information is available at www.demolitionassociation.com.