Reduce Your Building Waste
July/August 2005
Tabitha Alterman
The construction of an average home (2,000 square feet) usually
results in 8,000 pounds of construction waste. Add that to the
waste generated by demolition, and the figures are astounding:
Every year in the United States, 136 million tons of construction
and demolition waste are tossed into landfills. This debris amounts
to more than half of all landfill waste ? and much of it can be
reused if handled properly. Here are several ways you can locate
reclaimed and recycled construction materials:
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All around you there are sources for free or inexpensive materials that are perfectly suitable for ...
- The Internet.
'Freecycling' is an
easy-to-use Internet service for people who want to trade things
locally, for free. Also try
Build.Recycle.Net and
Sustainable Architecture,
Building and Culture for a list of similar organizations. And
frequently, there are auctions of used construction materials at
eBay.
- Your neighborhood. Your neighbors who are remodeling
will probably be thrilled that you want to take that old bathtub,
shower door or fireplace mantel off their hands. Houses set to be
torn down also are gold mines for prospective builders who need
materials, especially wood, hardware and fixtures such as sinks and
cabinets. Local construction companies and salvage yards, too, are
often willing to unload their 'waste' onto eager takers.
- Habitat for Humanity. The home-building charity
organization operates retail outlets called
ReStores,
that sell quality used and surplus building materials at a fraction
of their regular prices.
- Yellow Pages. When searching for used building materials
in the phone book, look up 'used,' 'recycled,' 'salvaged,'
'antique' or 'junk.'
- Contractors. The technology to reconstitute many
construction waste items into new products is rapidly progressing,
and many building professionals will use reclaimed or recycled
materials whenever they can. For a list of sources near you, visit
the Green
Building Professionals Directory.
By donating and building with used materials, you can feel good
about participating in all three R's ? reducing, reusing and
recycling ? while saving money and supporting local
economies.