Construction and Demolition Waste Management at UVM Construction

Construction and Demolition Waste Management at UVM

Construction and Demolition Waste Opportunities • Construction and demolition waste is 20 -40% of the waste stream going to landfills nationally • C+D waste is being generated at UVM everyday; we estimate there are nearly one hundred active projects on campus on any given day.

Environmental Impacts • Landfill leaks • Methane gas generation • Energy lost by not recycling / re-claiming materials • Transportation: greenhouse gas emissions

Definition of C&D Waste “Waste material that is produced in the process of construction, renovation, or demolition of structures. Structures include buildings of all types (both residential and non-residential) as well as roads and bridges. Components of C&D debris typically include concrete, asphalt, wood, metals, gypsum wallboard and roofing”. -EPA

Key Terms • Construction waste- waste generated while constructing a new building or structure • Demolition waste- waste generated while taking down an existing building or structure • Deconstruction- the taking apart of an existing building so that materials can be re-used elsewhere

Typical C&D Wastes • Asphalt, Asphalt Shingles • Carpet padding • Clean wood/pallets • Concrete • Corrugated cardboard

Typical C&D Wastes • Gypsum (drywall) • Land clearing debris • Scrap metal • Salvage • Other…

Requirements at UVM • Major projects: new buildings, major renovations • Minor projects: short term or partial building projects • Ongoing renovations: Physical Plant routine maintenance and renovation

Requirements at UVM • The waste management plan will be based on LEED® guidelines for C+D waste management • The plan must divert at least 50% of waste generated from the project • Workers must view training presentation as part of job site orientation

C&D EMS • Focuses on continuous program improvement by organizing activities into four stages: – – Plan Do Check Act • Program documentation is to maintain program improvements over time • This approach is based on organizational quality improvement practices

C&D EMS • Plan: vendor identification, development of job specifications • Do: walkthrough checklist, collection of disposal tickets • Check: entering of disposal data into the system, meeting of LEED goals • Act: evaluation of program by project managers, analysis of financial impacts

C&D EMS • Plan: tri-annual review of vendor options and specifications • Do: implement the project tracking system for all major projects and move the size of the projects covered smaller and smaller • Check: assure C&D waste LEED points are achived for every project (50% recycled for 1 point; 75% for 2 points) plus innovation point • Act: financial break even compared to landfilling the entire job

LEED Requirements • The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. • It gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance, by promoting a whole-building approach to sustainability.

LEED Requirements • LEED certification is required for large projects at UVM – According to the 2007 “Environmental Design in New and Renovated Buildings” Policy, UVM projects must achieve 33/69 points to achieve the required ‘Silver’ rating. • In the LEED-NC 2. 2 Rating system, there are 2 points available for Construction and Demolition waste diverted from the landfill: – 1 point if 50% of waste is diverted – 2 points if 75% of waste is diverted • The UVM tracking tool collects and reports the information that must be submitted to receive these points.

LEED Criteria • MR Credit 2. 1: Construction Waste Management: Divert 50% From Disposal: 1 Point – Recycle and/or salvage at least 50% of non-hazardous construction and demolition debris. – Develop and implement a construction waste management plan that, at a minimum, identifies the materials to be diverted from disposal and whether the materials will be sorted on-site or co- mingled. Excavated soil and landclearing debris do not contribute to this credit. Calculations can be done by weight or volume, but must be consistent throughout. • MR Credit 2. 2: Divert 75% From Disposal: – 1 Point in addition to MR Credit 2. 1 – Recycle and/or salvage an additional 25% beyond MR Credit 2. 1 • Additional points for using salvaged and/or recycled content building materials

Demolition/Deconstruction and New Construction Required Elements • Collection containers must be on site and labeled clearly before demolition can begin • Waste must be separated into appropriate categories • Labeled bins will remain on site for waste generated in new construction • All waste shipped off-site must be tracked in C&D database

Online Tracking Tool Website • The Green Building Coordinator Homepage: – http: //www. uvm. edu/~gbc/ • The Online Tracking Tool Data Entry Page: – http: //www. uvm. edu/~gbc/cdw/? Page=projects. php