United Membership Feature!Recycle Florida Today, Inc. Takes In-Depth Exploration into Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling of C&D Waste
Recycle Florida Today, Inc. is pleased to announce it has established a Construction Demolition Debris Recycling Committee. (CDDRC) The purpose of this new committee is to provide additional value to its membership by aligning resources between the public, private, and non-profit sectors to specifically address and encourage more recycling of construction debris waste in the state of Florida. With a focus on collaboration between these groups, RFT will align subject matter experts from across the state and country to provide new education opportunities and encourage new end markets for recovered materials in support of the organization’s mission, which is to promote resource conservation and environmental stewardship in Florida.
Construction and demolition debris (C&D) accounts for 36 percent of the waste stream in Florida; moreover, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 600 million tons of C&D debris are generated in the U.S. each year. Most of this waste ends up in landfills; however, there are opportunities to recover, recycle, and develop new products or beneficial reuse versus utilizing raw virgin materials, which saves and preserves our natural resources, including extending the life of our existing landfills rather than building new ones.
To help keep this material from filling up our landfills and to preserve our natural resources, Recycle Florida Today, Inc. (RFT) will work with the public, private, and non-profit sectors to find new opportunities on how the state of Florida can better manage construction debris waste. Timothy Lamontagne, Operations Manager for the Lee County Solid Waste Department in Ft. Myers, Florida, RFT Board of Director member, Executive Committee: Vice Chair, and CDDRC Chairman, says, “There is so much more that organizations and businesses can do to capture and recycle this material so that it doesn’t end up in our landfills.” Through education and awareness, the RFT organization will encourage reducing, reusing, and recycling construction and demolition debris. “It’s important to have public and private sector partnerships for collaboration. Recycle Florida Today, Inc., will facilitate making these connections. Our overall goal is to divert C&D waste from landfills and find end markets or beneficial reuse for recovered materials,” Tim stated.
Several options exist for recycling C&D waste. First, source separating materials at the C&D job site itself, which is placing discarded C&D materials into containers designated for specific items, such as concrete or wood products. Second, processing mixed C&D waste at a C&D recovery and recycling facility. This process is done by both mechanical and hand separation. Source separating, at a quick glance, can seem time-consuming for contractors and builders, but it also can be advantageous by reducing a contractor’s overall cost to dispose and transport these materials to a landfill.
Considering how C&D debris will be handled can go right into the design process when it comes to new construction and renovations. Atlanta-based Jeff Bain-Ross, PE, LEED Fellow, and president of Ross-Bain Green Building (RBGB), uses life-cycle assessments when assisting with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications.
“I can help a client reduce the amount of waste, pre-fabrication, to gain points toward LEED certification,” Ross-Bains said. This might take into account improved purchasing processes or connecting with markets for highly desirable waste such as copper metal. Investing in the LEED process immediately impacts a building’s performance and bottom line and can net tax breaks, too.
Not only is recycling C&D materials good for the environment and landfills, but it also stimulates the economy. A 2016 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report showed that recycling C&D waste created 23,000 jobs.
RFT is excited to have the opportunity to take a deep dive into the C&D waste stream. If your construction or demolition business needs help in reducing waste, recycling, and costs, contact your local solid waste department or RFT for recommendations.
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