UFC 1-900-01
1 DECEMBER 2002
PWTB contains various Federal, State, and local resources throughout the United
States for salvaged C&D waste materials.
4-6.1 Demolish (Markets). Demolition operations generate a far less desirable waste
due to the non-uniform nature of the waste that is commingled with other materials.
Very little reusable waste is yielded due to the practice of using heavy equipment to
demolish structures.
4-6.2 Recycle (Markets). Recycling facilities will use their resources to recover
materials if reasonable profits can be expected from the sale of recycled materials. If
the commodity does not command a high enough price in the market, recycling may
prove to be costly. Each project's unique regional situation influences how much profit
a recycling operation can expect to make. Recycling rates continue to improve, but one
undeniable roadblock to a successful recycling program is the lack of markets for some
materials.
4-6.3 Recover (Markets). The most desirable option, and most cost effective, is to
reuse recovered material on the site. For example, concrete can be crushed and used
for fill on site. Salvaged lumber and other building materials that can be used on the
site for new construction will minimize the cost associated with transportation and
market development. One major barrier to increased recovery rates is the low cost of
virgin construction materials. Recycled content materials often cost the same or more
than new materials. However, salvaged materials can often be of higher quality than
comparable new materials. Old-growth timber is one such example.
4-6.4 Deconstruct (Markets). Deconstruction minimizes contamination of demolition
debris, thus increasing the potential for marketing the recovered materials. Before
deconstruction, it helps to know what materials are worth salvaging so that materials
with potential value are not inadvertently destroyed. Hand demolition significantly
increases the amount of materials that can be reused and yields materials that are
available for immediate resale or reuse.
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