As the global population grows, the construction and demolition (C&D) industry must continuously advance to meet the demand. This ongoing development of residential, commercial, and infrastructural projects leads to a significant generation of waste. C&D waste constitutes 40% of the total solid waste produced worldwide each year, with the U.S. alone contributing nearly 100 million tons.
Though some waste is inevitable, there are numerous ways to reduce the substantial amounts generated annually. This summary highlights several strategies that C&D companies, regardless of their size, can adopt to improve waste reduction and lessen environmental impact.
To effectively reduce waste, it’s crucial to first understand its causes. A major factor is the lack of waste reduction planning during the design phase, responsible for approximately 33% of construction waste, according to environmental engineers. Other causes include design changes, improper handling and storage of materials, poor site management, and inadequate information about local recycling and disposal regulations.
Given these contributing factors, it’s no wonder that C&D waste accumulates so rapidly. However, various strategies can help mitigate this issue. It’s important to create a comprehensive recycling and waste management plan at the project’s outset. This plan should address waste reduction and disposal methods, including the use of specialized waste collection services, roll-off dumpsters, and compactors.
Moreover, considering deconstruction instead of traditional demolition can be a more environmentally friendly approach. Deconstruction involves the careful dismantling of buildings to recover materials for reuse, reducing overall waste and minimizing environmental impact compared to conventional demolition, which often produces harmful dust and metals.
These strategies provide a starting point for reducing waste. For more information, please refer to the provided resource.
Reducing Waste At A Job Site was provided by Sourgum Waste