Construction & Demolition (C&D) Waste Management Plan
Construction and demolition (C&D) waste materials make up to 45% of what goes into landfills in the USA. This contributes to the reduced life of landfills, operations and maintenance costs, as well as environmental impacts. Diverting C&D waste avoids the costs of new landfills, and can support local businesses that can use C&D waste material as a resource.
Local governments can effectively manage C&D waste disposal by requiring builders create a Construction & Demolition (C&D) Waste Management Plan that identifies:
- The construction and demolition waste materials that will likely be generated on a building site
- The procedures that will be used to collect and sort the waste materials
- Who will haul away the waste material
- The location to which the materials will be hauled
- How the materials will be reused or recycled
A C&D waste management plan should also identify a building project recycling supervisor, establish ways to involve and train workers on the building crews, establish a recognition program to encourage participation, require subcontractors to participate in the recycling program, and allow time for deconstruction and salvage of materials.
RATIONALE
It is less effective, more time consuming, and less accurate to attempt to track C&D waste material diversion after a construction project has begun. Cities can better realize C&D waste diversion goasl by requiring a Waste Management Plan as part of the permitting process. This typically limits or prevents added costs to contractors, and simplifies the verification process for the City.
EFFORT REQUIRED
The City will be responsible for designing an efficient submittal process with clearly defined templates and compliance requirements for contractors, as well as outreach materials to introduce the program and to facilitate an easy transition.
BENEFITS
The City benefits from less solid waste being disposed of in landfills, but contractors can also benefit from reduced job site waste and revenue from the sale of reusable and recyclable materials.
RISKS
There is a risk that the building community will not comply with new regulations requiring the City to invest more in enforcement. However, most communities that have required a Waste Management Plan as part of their overall C&D Waste Management Ordinance, have not reported this as a major problem. In fact, most contractors already recycle some of their C&D waste.
ACTION AGENT(S)
- Solid Waste Management/Recycling Department
- Public Works Department
- Building Department
- Planning Department (permitting office)
COSTS
If a city were to require the submittal of a waste management plan as part of the permitting process, the added costs would be largely administrative. Popular revenue strategies to meet these costs include added permitting fees, or increased tipping fees for landfill disposal.
Waste disposal sites for solid waste from human activities.The disposal of waste other than through incineration or the use of landfills. Examples include reuse and recycling.Charged by a landfill for disposal of waste, typically quoted per ton.The collection, reprocessing, marketing, and use of materials that were diverted or recovered from the solid waste stream.
