WasteWise Update: Building for the Future

INSIDE

CONSTRUCTION & DEMOLITIONDEBRIS REDUCTION . . . 4

RESOURCE-EFFICIENT BUILDINGMATERIALS . . . . 10

RESOURCES . . . 13

BUILDING FOR

THE FUTURE

WasteWise Update

WWUpdate16_Final.qxd 4/12/2002 2:13 PM Page 3

You can make your organization’s buildings greener by improving their energy and water effi-ciency, employing renewable sources of energy, improving indoor air quality, and using materi-

als more efficiently. This issue of the WasteWise Update looks primarily at the materialsefficiency aspects of green buildings, including the reduction, reuse, and recycling of

construction and demolition (C&D) debris, and the use of recycled, reused, andotherwise “resource-efficient” building products.

If green buildings are ultimately about the safe and efficient use ofresources, then the ways in which materials are used and disposed of in

the building process are essential to this growing movement. TheUnited States Geological Survey has estimated that construction

accounts for 60 percent of all materials used in the United States forpurposes other than food and fuel.1 This amounts to billions of tons

of material used every year to construct buildings, roads, bridges,and other structures.

WasteWise Update 2

Building for the Future

From the first moment of construction until the day it is demolished, a building

affects its surrounding environment. It consumes energy, water, and materials; affects

the air, land, and water around it; and creates an artificial indoor environment for

those who work, live, or play in it. Buildings that are designed, constructed, operat-

ed, and ultimately removed in such a way as to minimize their environmental

impacts are referred to as “high-performance,” “sustainable,” or “green” buildings—a hot topic in

both the environmental and construction arenas.

1 USGS Factsheet FS-068-98, “Materials Flowand Sustainability” (June 1998)

<http://greenwood.cr.usgs.gov/pub/fact-sheets/fs-0068-98/fs-0068-98.pdf>


The environmental impact of building, therefore, startswhen these materials are first harvested (e.g., trees) ormined (e.g., metals, crushed stone, sand, gravel, and gyp-sum). How they are extracted and how much is taken canaffect the surrounding environment, including the condi-tion of soil, streams, and forests. Processing, manufactur-ing, and transporting these products causes additionalenvironmental impacts, resulting from industrial pollu-tion, the burning of fuel, and the processes employed.Many steps of the production process release greenhousegases into the atmosphere: burning fossil fuels releases car-

bon dioxide; harvesting trees releases carbon dioxidestored in forests; and landfilling biodegradable materialscan lead to methane releases. All of these effects togetherconstitute the life-cycle impact of a building.

Although this Update focuses on solid waste and resourceconservation issues, it is important to remember that greenbuilding has many different aspects, and your organizationwill benefit most by taking a “whole-building” approachthat considers all the environmental impacts—and trade-offs—of the building decisions you make.

3 WasteWise Update

WasteWise Building Challenge

In early 2002, WasteWise will launch the Building Challenge to provide program partners with an opportunity to gaintechnical assistance and recognition for reducing C&D waste and purchasing recycled-content building products. To helppartners develop and implement Building Challenge programs, WasteWise will distribute CD-ROMs containingEnvironmental Building News archives to the first 50 partners that sign up. The CD-ROMs contain every issue of this greenbuilding newsletter from 1992 to 2000. For additional information about the WasteWise Building Challenge, please callthe WasteWise Helpline at 800 EPA-WISE or send an e-mail to <[email protected]>.

The mention of any company, product, or process in this publication does not constitute or imply endorsement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.


WasteWise Update 4

Construction & DemolitionDebrisReduction

Construction and demolition

(C&D) debris constitutes the

waste generated during con-

struction, renovation, and demolition projects. C&D waste commonly includes

building materials and products such as concrete, asphalt, wood, glass, brick,

metal, gypsum wallboard, roofing, insulation, doors, windows and frames, flooring, and furni-

ture. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that approximately 136 mil-

lion tons of building-related C&D debris were generated in 1996—the majority from demolition

(48 percent) and renovation (44 percent). New construction generated only 8 percent of building-

related C&D debris.

Such a large and complex waste stream pre-sents many opportunities for reducing thewaste and costs associated with buildingactivities. Reducing C&D debris can cutoverall project expenses by avoiding dis-posal costs and the purchase of newmaterials, by generating revenue fromthe sale of materials, and by creatingopportunities for tax breaks throughmaterial donations. Other benefitsinclude conserving landfill space,reducing the environmental effects ofproducing new materials, helpingcontractors and building ownerscomply with local and state regula-tions, and enhancing the public imageof the organization that is reducing thedebris. Many WasteWise partners spendsignificant amounts of time and moneyconstructing, renovating, and/or demolish-

ing public, commercial, or academic buildings—including office buildings, factories, warehous-

es, and other structures. Tackling the wastestream from these activities allows yourorganization to extend its WasteWisewaste reduction successes into the newarena of C&D.

To minimize the environmentalimpact of buildings and structures,your organization can take many stepsto reuse and recycle used buildingmaterials and prevent waste. Fromincorporating used or environmentallypreferable materials into a building’sconstruction or renovation, to disas-

sembling structures for the reuse andrecycling of their components, each

phase of a building’s life cycle offersopportunities to reduce waste.


Waste Reduction in the Design Phase

Waste reduction opportunities begin with the earliestchoices made in the building process, including architec-tural design and material selection. Effectively balancingresource-efficient design concepts requires the attention ofskilled and environmentally conscious building profession-als. These concepts include waste prevention, durability,and recyclability.

Waste Prevention

Waste prevention techniques minimize the amount ofmaterials used during construction and renovation. Forexample, a technique from the homebuilding field, knownas “optimum value engineering (OVE)” or “efficient fram-ing,” reduces the amount of wood used in the framingprocess without sacrificing structural integrity. Additionalinformation on OVE techniques can be found on thePartnership for Advancing Technology in HousingTechnology Inventory at <www.toolbase.org>.

Durability

Although durable products can be more expensive andcontain more material than their traditional counterparts,they offer many long-term benefits through avoided mainte-nance and replacement costs. Additionally, products that aremore durable can enhance safety and prevent a building’sother high-performance features—such as energy efficien-cy—from deteriorating. The durability of a building comesnot only from the materials used to build it, but from thequality of the construction. For example, building to avoidproblems such as water infiltration will do much to ensurethat materials last as long as possible.

Recyclability

Recyclability considers the end-of-life management ofbuilding products from the very start. The University ofFlorida’s Center for Construction and Environment is cur-rently conducting research on the concept of designingbuildings to facilitate the ultimate disassembly and reuse oftheir components.

5 WasteWise Update

EPA Builds Waste Reductioninto New Facility

The foundation of a green building is set long before thedigging begins. For EPA’s mammoth 1-million-square-footlaboratory and office complex in Research Triangle Park(RTP), North Carolina, project managers scrutinized everyaspect of the design phase—working closely with designers,contractors, and the local environmental agency—to ensurethat waste prevention, recycling, and recycled productswere incorporated into the construction plan and execution.

EPA worked with its design firm, Hellmuth, Obata, andKassabaum (HOK), to choose the most environmentallypreferable materials and products for its facility. HOKdeveloped a survey asking manufacturers and vendors toprovide information on the environmental aspects of theirproducts throughout their life cycle. The result is HOK’sHealthy and Sustainable Building Materials Database,available online at <www.hok.com/sustainabledesign/database/database.html>.

The designers created ample space for recycling roomsand containers. They also encouraged future waste pre-vention by employing “modular design,” which reducesremodeling waste by creating moveable walls and parti-tions, thereby allowing the larger structure, as well aslights, sprinklers, and outlets, to remain stationary.

With the design phase complete, reducing and managingscrap materials generated during construction was the nextchallenge. Contractors traditionally place all debris intothe same receptacle and haul it to a landfill. On this site,EPA incorporated waste separation and recovery into thecontract specifications and closely monitored every step ofthe process, including the initial clearing of the land, dur-ing which the contractor sold trees for timber and groundremaining wood into mulch. Once the project was com-pleted, more than 20 million pounds of materials hadbeen diverted from the landfill—an 80 percent recoveryrate, according to EPA project manager Chris Long.

“As far as recycling is concerned, [contractors] are general-ly not used to it, but they are capable of doing it,” Longsaid. With a cooperative contractor—who went the extramile and hired individuals to monitor recovery activities—in addition to persistence, supervision, and education, the800-person crew successfully addressed the green buildinggoals set forth by EPA. For both EPA project managers andcontractors, Long says “it has been a growing experience.”

Recognizing RTP as a model for recycling constructionwaste, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)honored the facility with a GSA Environmental Award inApril 2001. To read more about this new complex and itsmany other green features, visit the project’s Web site at<www.epa.gov/rtp/new-bldg>.

WasteWise would like to thank the following individuals for theirassistance in reviewing this publication: Cathy Berlow, Brad Guy,Karen Kivela, Alison Kinn, and Bill Turley.


Contracts and SpecificationsIncorporating environmental guidelines into your con-

tracts and specifications will clarify your expectations ofarchitects and builders and ensure that they integrate yourgoals into the building plans. Sample green building specifi-cations can be used as templates. Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design (LEED), a rating system created bythe U.S. Green Building Council, provides green buildingguidelines that organizations can follow to qualify theirbuildings as environmentally sound. LEED includes stan-dards on topics such as maximizing the salvage of existingstructures, maximizing recycling and reuse during construc-tion, and specifying recycled or reused building materials.Even if your organization does not go through the entireLEED rating process, you can incorporate elements of theLEED standards into your building contract specifications.An increasing number of organizations and governments,

such as the city of Seattle and the U.S. General ServicesAdministration, require that their buildings be built to meetor exceed LEED standards.

A number of organizations and governments have devel-oped their own specifications—for example, New York Citycreated its own high-performance building guidelines (seeResources section for more information). Although mostlocal green building programs have a broad focus, whichincludes waste reduction and recycled product sections,WasteSpec is a set of specifications that focuses exclusivelyon waste issues. Developed by North Carolina’s Triangle JCouncil of Governments, WasteSpec provides model lan-guage to address the use of waste reduction techniques, reuseof construction waste material, salvage of C&D waste forsale or reuse, and return of unused construction material tovendors. WasteSpec is available free of charge at<www.tjcog.dst.nc.us/cdwaste.htm>.

WasteWise Update 6

Greening the Code

Building codes establish the minimum acceptable require-ments necessary for protecting public health, safety, andwelfare in a building’s environment. The following examplesillustrate how communities are incorporating green or sus-tainable standards into building codes and guidelines.

• Santa Monica, California’s Green Building programincludes requirements for C&D waste management. Therequirements include recycling C&D waste in constructioncontracts, specifying the reuse of salvaged building andlandscape materials, and designing interior buildingcomponents for future disassembly, reuse, and recycling.Other sections of the code require specifying wood fromsustainably managed sources and the use of low-emis-sion finishes and materials to reduce indoor pollution.

• The U.S. Navy requires contractors to incorporate greenbuilding components into their designs. The SustainableDevelopment Requirements in the Navy Family HousingProject state:

“All Navy Family Housing Construction, Improvement,Repair and Privatization projects shall incorporateSustainable Development principles. Application of theseprinciples will reduce consumption of energy, and othernon-renewable resources; minimize waste of water andmaterials; prevent pollution and associated environmen-tal impacts and liabilities, increase energy and resourceefficiency, and improve human health. The result willreduce life-cycle operating costs for Navy Families.”

• Portland, Oregon’s building codes mandate that allbuilding projects with costs exceeding $25,000 (includingconstruction and demolition), must recycle materials gen-erated onsite.


The Construction andRenovation Phases

Once your organization breaks ground on a new con-struction, renovation, or remodeling project, numerousopportunities for reuse and recycling can be identified.During these phases, you will need to ensure that contrac-tors fulfill the waste reduction goals or specifications out-lined in your contracts. Because incorporating reuse andrecycling activities into the construction and renovationphases may be new to building professionals, developingnew standard operating procedures is recommended.Education and motivation of construction staff may alsoprove beneficial. One way to motivate contractors is to letthem keep revenues from recycling and savings fromavoided landfill costs due to waste reduction.

Building contractors should be required to develop aplan for reducing, reusing, or recycling the wastes theygenerate onsite. First, careful estimation of requiredmaterials to be ordered will help reduce the amount ofwasted materials. Second, markets for recyclable productsshould be identified. Some materials (such as metals,cardboard packaging, bricks, concrete, and wood) oftenhave strong markets; others (such as drywall, vinyl prod-ucts, or carpeting) may vary from region to region. Itmay take creativity and persistence to find markets forcertain materials. One resource is the ConstructionMaterials Recycling Association (CMRA), an associationof C&D debris generators, haulers, processors, recyclers,and remanufacturers. CMRA provides information andtechnical assistance about C&D debris recycling.

After establishing recycling systems at the construc-tion site, both contractors and subcontractors shouldreceive instructions on sorting their waste. Renovationprojects in particular may present opportunities forrecovering high-quality building components or fixturesfor reuse. Hundreds of building material reuse storesaround the country accept used materials as a tax-deductible, charitable contribution. Habitat forHumanity’s national network of Re-Stores sell used andsurplus building materials to fund new building projects.Other groups involved in the resale of building materialsinclude local nonprofit organizations and militarygroups. The Used Building Materials Association(UBMA), and the Reuse Development Organization(ReDO) also provide information on locating and work-ing with reuse stores. Refer to the Resources section formore information.

7 WasteWise Update

U.S. Green Building Council’sLeadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design (LEED)Green Building Rating System

LEED, a self-certification system developed by the U.S.Green Building Council, rates the “greenness” of new andexisting commercial, institutional, and multi-family residen-tial buildings. LEED helps builders design sustainablebuildings that save resources and provide environmentaland health benefits to owners, occupants, and the commu-nity. Buildings must be designed, constructed, and operat-ed according to specific sustainable criteria in order toearn LEED credits. Buildings that meet the LEED criteriaare awarded the “LEED Building” designation within theappropriate level of certification (Platinum, Gold, Silver,and Certified). The criteria include both mandatory prereq-uisites and a range of optional credits.

LEED’s commercial building rating system is based on fivecategories: Sustainable Site Planning, Improving EnergyEfficiency, Conserving Materials and Resources, EnhancingIndoor Environmental Quality, and Safeguarding Water.Several credits focus on resource conservation, recycling,and reuse. For example, one of LEED’s prerequisites is the“provision of a centralized, ground-floor location for stor-age and collection of recyclables.” LEED credits are alsoawarded for activities such as:

• Rehabilitating an existing building instead of demolish-ing and rebuilding.

• Reusing salvaged materials.• Using materials with high recycled content.• Developing a construction waste management plan.• Using local materials.

A similar rating system, LEED Commercial Interiors (LEEDCI), is being developed for tenants of commercial build-ings and the designers and architects they hire.


The Demolition/Deconstruction Phase

Although Rome’s Coliseum is still standing after 2,000years, most of our buildings are not quite so durable. Whena building comes to the end of its useful life, the amount ofwaste created by its removal can be minimized throughwaste reduction techniques. Most buildings are taken downthrough demolition, and rubble is sometimes recycled foruses such as road-building aggregate. In fact, some sites havedemonstrated that enormous amounts of debris from thedemolition of existing structures can be reused in new struc-tures being built at the demolition site. When the SeattleKingdome was torn down in March 2000, a remarkable 97percent of the project waste was recycled into the new stadi-um complex. This resulted not only in savings of more than$3 million, but reduced truck traffic to and from the site byan estimated 4,500 trips.

Today, interest in an alternative—or complementary—practice known as “deconstruction” is increasing.Deconstruction maximizes the salvage of building materi-als for reuse or recycling by selectively disassemblingbuildings. Currently, valuable items, such as chandeliersand fixtures, are frequently removed from buildings beforedemolition. Deconstruction, however, goes one level deep-er and concentrates on recovering items such as flooring,siding, windows, doors, bricks, plumbing fixtures, ceilingtiles, and structural components. As a result, deconstruc-tion is labor-intensive and often relies on the use of handtools and manpower to take apart buildings and struc-tures. The potential benefits of deconstruction include jobcreation, resource conservation, and waste reduction. Inthe future, mechanized deconstruction using a combina-tion of manual labor and machinery may increase thespeed and efficiency of the deconstruction process. Whendeconstructing buildings, workers should take precautions toprotect themselves from exposure to substances such as lead-based paint and asbestos. EPA's Lead Program(www.epa.gov/opptintr/lead/) and Asbestos Program(www.epa.gov/oppt/asbestos) offer useful information aboutthese toxins.

Whereas traditional demolition treats a building as afinancial liability, deconstruction recognizes the inherentvalue in the building’s components and can reduce the over-all cost of demolition. Before constructing the Four TimesSquare Office Tower in Manhattan, the contractor firstremoved six existing buildings. By salvaging all usable mate-rials and recycling as much of the remaining C&D debris aspossible, the contractor saved more than $800,000 by sellingthe salvaged material and reducing disposal fees.

In fact, not every building will warrant deconstruction. Abuilding should be assessed to determine the condition and

WasteWise Update 8

Aspen Skiing CompanyPrevents Mountains of Waste

No stone was left unturned—literally—when Aspen SkiingCompany (ASC) sought to deconstruct its Sundeck Restaurantand Snowmass Lodge and Club in 1999. ASC salvaged asmuch as it could, including the stones comprising SundeckRestaurant’s fireplace. The company donated the stones tothe Aspen Historical Society, which in turn auctioned them fora total of $25,000. In this project, ASC salvaged 84 percentof the building, saved thousands of dollars, and rebuilt therestaurant and lodge into a LEED-certified complex.

“Deconstruction and salvage takes more time and energy,but it extends the life of the landfill and helps protect nat-ural resources,” said Auden Schendler, ASC’s Director ofEnvironmental Affairs. Rather than hiring a new contractor,ASC worked with its existing contractor to salvage partsand separate materials.

For a successful salvage, ASC needed an outlet for the mate-rials and products. The project managers planned a parkinglot “yard sale” and advertised the event with posters andnewspaper announcements. An hour before the sale started,20 pickup trucks had already lined up filled with eagerhomeowners, contractors, and hotel owners refurbishingtheir own facilities. In only 4 hours, all of the items weregone. ASC sold 100 sliding doors, 80 windows, 24 fir closetdoors, a few 40-foot beams, and a trash bin full of plywoodand TGI (pressed wood “I”) beams. ASC netted $10,000from the yard sale and earned another $58,000 by sellingold furniture to employees at a discount.

ASC also rented a grinder to process the concrete,sheetrock, and wood generated from the deconstruction.Grinding these materials reduced their volume by 500percent, which cut costs by reducing the number of timesthe contractor sent trucks to the landfill. ASC used theground concrete as backfill and sent the ground wood andsheetrock to the landfill’s windrow composting operation.The landfill manager waived the $21.50 per-cubic-yardtipping fee for the wood and sheetrock because he couldlater sell the finished compost.

Schendler said his biggest piece of advice for otherWasteWise partners is to negotiate with contractors toincorporate cost savings and revenues into the contract. By demonstrating that deconstruction can be cost-effective,ASC hopes to start a trend among builders, and a broadermovement within the skiing industry. For more informationon ASC’s environmental programs, visit <www.aspensnowmass.com/environment>.


value of its materials and identify potential outlets for them.This assessment should look not only at the value of sellingsalvaged materials, but also the value of giving them away astax-deductible contributions and the savingsfrom avoided disposal costs. Althoughthe extra labor required to decon-struct a building may representan added cost, deconstructionis being used in some areasas a prime opportunity toutilize and train at-riskyouths, welfare-to-workprogram participants, andothers in the constructiontrade. For example, theInstitute for Local SelfReliance (ILSR) worked withthe Hartford (Connecticut)Housing Authority (HHA) todeconstruct six units of a local housingcomplex. The project trained nine public hous-ing residents, providing them with the skills to obtain full-time positions with a local deconstruction company. In thisway, the removal of a building can represent an excitingopportunity for WasteWise partners to empower and engagetheir surrounding communities.

Deconstructing Kodak ParkLocated in Rochester, New York, Eastman Kodak

Company’s offices and manufacturing facilitiesreside on a 1,900-acre park. Six years ago,

the company began consolidatingspace among its 200 buildings. As

part of this effort, Kodak decon-structed more than 40 buildingson the site, reusing as much ofthe original constructionmaterial as possible. GeorgeThomas, manager of Kodak’spollution prevention program,

described the effort as “a goodway to minimize costs and ‘do

the right thing.’” Many of thebuildings ranged from 10 to 100

years old. Valuable wooden beamsprized by collectors were reused by the

demolition contractor. The company also recoveredmore than 50,000 tons of brick, concrete, and asphalt fromits old buildings. Kodak stockpiled this material, hired a con-tractor to crush it into aggregate twice each year, and reusedthe material onsite as fill. Thomas explained that the cost ofnew aggregate was comparable to the cost per ton of crushingthe salvaged material, but Kodak saved big—nearly $2.7 mil-lion—in avoided disposal fees.

9 WasteWise Update

Disney's Recycle Plus ProgramDonates Building Supplies

New and used plumbing fixtures, paints, carpeting, and lumberfrom the Walt Disney World® Resort properties in Orange County,Florida, found a second home through Disney's Recycle Plus pro-gram. In 2000 alone, Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID)and Walt Disney World® Resort donated more than $65,000 ofreusable building supplies to local affordable housing programs,churches, and nonprofit organizations through the Orange CountyCommunity Distribution Center. When the program began, it pri-marily donated unused construction supplies, but it graduallyexpanded to include virtually any type of building material—new orused—that could be used in an affordable housing program.

In a collaborative effort, Disney worked with the Orange CountyCommunity Distribution Center to redistribute the materials tolocal organizations. Supplies were collected from Disney's numer-ous properties in Orange County and delivered to the distributioncenter, which was staffed by county inmates as part of a ware-house training program. By redistributing supplies, the RecyclePlus program simultaneously prevented materials from being sentto a landfill and provided needed supplies for refurbishing andbuilding homes.


WasteWise Update 10

Recycled-content products belong to a broader categoryof green building supplies including products made withouthazardous substances, energy-efficient products (includingENERGY STAR®-labeled products, ranging from roofing toappliances to windows), and water-conserving devices2.Although there is a wide variety of “resource-efficient” build-ing products, this section of the Update focuses specificallyon building products with recycled content.

Many recycled-content building products on the marketare more common, available, and affordable than you mightthink. The National Recycling Coalition’s Buy RecycledBusiness Alliance (BRBA) developed case studies of 18organizations that have incorporated recycled materials intotheir buildings. These case studies demonstrate the widerange of products being used in construction and renova-tion projects today. WasteWise partners featured in theBRBA case studies include:

• Ben and Jerry’s uses countertops made from recycledmarble and plastic, and wainscoting and wall panelingwith recycled cork.

• The Body Shop’s American headquarters features carpet-ing made from 100 percent recycled PET plastic sodabottles and floor tiles containing recycled glass.

• Bridging the Gap furnished it’s headquarters in KansasCity, Missouri, with desks made from discarded woodendoors. It also used a variety of recycled-content and envi-ronmentally sensitive products throughout its offices.

Resource-EfficientBuilding Materials

There are many widely available high-performance

and cost-effective green alternatives to traditional

construction and renovation materials. WasteWise partners

familiar with green building methods have noticed a steady increase in the avail-

ability, quantity, and variety of recycled construction and renovation supplies over

the years. This increase reflects growing demand as more and more organizations are discovering the

economic and environmental benefits of green building.

Sustainable Landscaping

Green building can include the green stuff outside thebuilding too—lawns, gardens, even golf courses. Fromusing hydraulic mulch (a mixture of wood waste and paperfiber), to landscaping lawns with recycled-content rubberedging, organizations can use a variety of environmentallysustainable lawn and garden products. EPA’sComprehensive Procurement Guidelines offer informationon an array of recycled-content landscaping materialssuch as garden and soaker hoses, plastic lumber land-scaping timbers, and compost made from yard trimmingsor food waste.

Additional information about the uses and benefits ofcompost can be obtained from the U.S. CompostingCouncil Web site, <www.compostingcouncil.org>.

2 For a comprehensive definition of green building products, seethe Environmental Building News article, “Building Materials:What Makes a Product Green?” at <www.buildinggreen.com/features/gp/green_products.html>


• McDonald’s used numerous recycled construction prod-ucts in a Kent, Washington, restaurant, including table-tops, cabinets, and trash receptacles made of recycledparticleboard, ceiling tiles containing recycled paper, andmenuboards containing recycled plastic and aluminum.

• Metro, a regional government covering three counties inthe Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area, located its newheadquarters in a 71-year-old building, which it remod-eled with components such as 100 percent recycled paintand recycled rubber floor tiles. The agency also salvaged159 tons of hardwood flooring, carpeting, doors, and fix-tures for reuse.

• Waste Management built its Government Affairs Officein Washington, DC, with approximately 85 percentreused or recycled materials, including ceiling tiles con-

taining steel slag and newsprint; countertops manufac-tured from recycled cardboard, newsprint, woodwaste,and recycled steel studs; and furniture containing recycledwood from old movie sets.

Types of Materials Available The Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG)

Program is part of EPA’s ongoing effort to promote the useof materials recovered from the solid waste stream. The pro-gram offers purchasing guidelines to federal agencies andtheir contractors by recommending recycled-content materi-als. Many non-federal organizations also use the CPG todevelop their own recycled-product purchasing programs.The CPG Program recommends high-performance con-struction products, including:

11 WasteWise Update

The Wider World of Green Buildings

Green buildings and the suppliers, researchers, media outlets, associations, and programs that supportand promote them are springing up across the country and around the world. Most of these programstake a holistic approach, treating a building as one unit with many diverse environmental impacts.Following are some of the issues beyond materials and waste that help define the up-and-comingfield of sustainable building:

• Energy Efficiency: The energy your building uses can be a significant drain on both the envi-ronment and your budget. Therefore, energy efficiency is an essential part of sustainablebuilding. EPA’s Energy Star for Buildings program offers a comprehensive five-step programto reduce energy consumption in your building. The elements of this program includereplacing your lighting and other appliances with more energy-efficient models, improv-ing maintenance and operations procedures, and upgrading heating, ventilation, andcooling systems. Energy Star for Buildings also provides an online benchmarking toolthat allows your organization to measure its building energy usage and compare theperformance of your building against the average for your building type. If yourbuilding scores in the top 25 percent of energy performance, and you meet otherrequirements (including good indoor air quality), you can qualify to advertise yourhigh–performance building with an Energy Star for Buildings label. See <www.ener-gystar.gov> for more information.

• Renewable Energy: Once you’ve reduced your building’s energy needs, you mightwant to consider supplying those needs with energy sources that renew themselves nat-urally. These sources include solar, geothermal, wind, biomass, hydrogen, and otherpower sources. The U.S. Department of Energy has information about using renewableenergy technologies at <www.eren.doe.gov/RE>.

• Water: EPA’s water efficiency partnership program, known as WAVE (Water Alliances forVoluntary Efficiency), helps organizations identify and implement water conservation activi-ties. WAVE partners sign an agreement to survey water-using equipment and, where prof-itable, install water-efficient upgrades within a prearranged time frame. Partners also agreeto consider using water-efficient equipment in the design of all new facilities. Although WAVEonce focused exclusively on the lodging industry, it is now open to organizations with officebuildings and educational institutions as well. See <www.epa.gov/owm/genwave.htm> formore information.

• Indoor Air Quality: Whereas other aspects of sustainable building focus on effects on the out-door environment, buildings create their own indoor environments as well. This is important fororganizations to remember because indoor environmental quality can affect the health of those whooccupy buildings, impact worker productivity, and even be a source of liability for organizations thatdo not monitor this issue. EPA’s Indoor Environments Program has information about how to improveindoor air quality in building types, including office buildings and schools, at <www.epa.gov/iaq>.


• Building insulation. Recycled-content building insulationis available in standard forms (rolls, loose fill, and sprayfoam) and contains a range of recovered materials, includ-ing glass cullet, plastics, paper fiber, and blast furnace slag.

• Carpet. Your organization can use recycled fiber polyesteror nylon carpet. Environmentally responsible carpet isalso available with recycled-content backing.

• Cement and concrete. These materials can be made usingfly ash recovered from coal-burning power plants andground blast furnace slag recovered from iron production.

• Consolidated and reprocessed latex paint. Consolidatedpaint, produced by mixing different types of collectedpostconsumer paint, is only recommended for outdoorapplications. Reprocessed paint is sorted according tocolor, finish, and type during collection and can be usedoutdoors or indoors.

• Floor tiles. Recycled-content floor tiles and patio blockscan contain high percentages of plastic or rubber salvagedfrom truck and airplane tires.

• Shower and restroom dividers/partitions. These dividerscan contain between 20 and 100 percent recycled-contentplastic or steel.

• Laminated paperboard and structural fiberboard.Paperboard contains kraft paper and can be ideal forindoor decorative applications such as millwork and fur-niture components. Fiberboard is manufactured usingrecycled wood, cane, or paper and can be used as struc-tural material, insulation, or acoustical tile.

For more detailed information about CPG guidelines forconstruction and other products, visit <www.epa.gov/cpg>.

WasteWise Update 12

King County, Washington, Sets a Green Example

In the fall of 1999, King County’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) moved into the King Street Center Building, a facilitydesigned to be a model of environmental integrity and sustainability. Located in a historic district in downtown Seattle, the 8-story office building encompasses 327,000 square feet.

The building employs a water reclamation system that collects rainwater from the roof, filters the water, and uses it in the build-ing’s toilets. The building’s water reclamation system also contributes to its sustainability, supplying 64 percent of the annual“flushing budget” and greatly reducing DNR’s water costs, particularly during droughts. The system offers environmental bene-fits as well—each year, the system reclaims 1.4 million gallons of rainwater that would otherwise drain directly to Puget Sound.

Additional features of the King Street Center include recycled-content cement, ceiling tiles, bathroom stall partitions, and paint.Furthermore, the county reused latex paint collected as part of a residential program and installed refurbished carpet squaresdesigned to be replaced individually instead of traditional wall-to-wall carpet.

You can learn more about King County’s experiences and sample contract language for green construction and renovationefforts online at <www.metrokc.gov/procure/green/const.htm>.

LP Harnesses Benefits ofGreen Building Materials forNew Headquarters

When Louisiana-Pacific (LP) moved its headquarters toaccommodate a need for more space, it made every effortto create an environmentally sustainable office. Workingclosely with its architect to ensure this goal was met, LPrequired each contractor and supplier to submit informa-tion on the environmental aspects of its operations. As aresult, the company’s new offices reflect an environmentalcommitment and vision for sustainability. Green buildingfeatures of LP’s new office include:

• Recycled wood flooring, used in the reception areasand elevator landings, manufactured from trim piecesof laminated veneer lumber from LP’s Hines, Oregon,facility.

• High-performance, bio-composite tile, placed in theemployee lunchroom, manufactured using an energy-efficient process that is free of volatile organic compounds.

• Cabinets, located in the copy and coffee rooms, madefrom medium-density fiberboard, a product manufac-tured from sawdust and fines.

• Office furniture containing recycled-content steel, sustain-ably harvested wood, and non-hazardous materials.

• Energy-efficient timing devices that shut off office lightsafter 30 minutes of inactivity.

Hugh Donnelly, LP’s corporate facilities manager, notedthat “it wasn’t hard to find suppliers who were eager totalk about the green aspects of their business. What’smore, LP’s move to the Fox Tower was completed on timeand under budget.”


▼EPA Construction &Demolition Debris Web site

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/debris>

This brand-new Web site brings togetherinformation from EPA and other sources onC&D debris prevention, reuse, recycling,and management, including numerousdocuments and links. A companion site onthe broader issues of green building willbe accessible through this site.

▼Characterization of Building-Related Construction andDemolition Debris in the U.S.EPA530-R-98-010. June 1998.

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/sqg/c&d-rpt.pdf>

This report characterizes the quantity andcomposition of building-related C&Ddebris generated in the United States andsummarizes management practices for thiswaste stream. It focuses on construction,demolition, and renovation of residentialand nonresidential buildings.

▼Building Savings: Strategiesfor Waste Reduction ofConstruction and DemolitionDebris from Buildings.EPA530-F-00-001. June 2000.

<www.ilsr.org/recycling/buildingdebris.pdf>

This series of case studies on constructionmaterials diversion provides valuable tipson C&D reuse and recycling. The case

studies, covering projects ranging from anapartment complex to a grocery store, pro-vide details on implementation costs, costsavings, and tips for replication.

▼EPA’s ComprehensiveProcurement Guidelines (CPG)

<www.epa.gov/cpg>

CPG provides a wealth of informationabout buying recycled-content products.Ranging from construction to landscapingproducts, CPG offers recommended recy-cled-content levels as well as contactinformation for manufacturers and sup-pliers of recycled-content products andmaterials.

▼EPA’s EnvironmentallyPreferable Purchasing (EPP)Program

<www.epa.gov/oppt/epp>

This Web site features a searchable data-base containing contract language andvoluntary standards for more than 600products and service categories—many ofwhich relate to construction. Numerouscase studies highlighting green construc-tion successes, such as EPA’s Region 10remodeling effort and the Fort Worth PostOffice, are also provided.

▼EPA’s Jobs Through RecyclingProgram — ConstructionMaterials Commodity Page

<www.epa.gov/jtr/comm/construc.htm>

This Web site profiles construction materi-als reuse and recycling, and provides linksto various reports, organizations, and listserver postings covering everything fromasphalt to particle board.

▼2000 Buy-Recycled Series:Construction Products.EPA530-F-00-009. June 2000.

<www.epa.gov/cpg/const-00.pdf>

This fact sheet lists EPA’s recommendedpostconsumer recycled-content percent-ages of various construction products.Geared toward federal facilities and con-

tractors seeking assistance in complyingwith EPA’s Comprehensive ProcurementGuidelines, the information provided isalso applicable to a wide audience. Thefact sheet includes short case studies onlocal, state, and federal government con-struction projects.

▼ENERGY STAR®

<www.energystar.gov>

ENERGY STAR, a collaborative effort betweenU.S. EPA and the U.S. Department ofEnergy (DOE), encourages businesses andconsumers to make energy-conscious deci-sions through the purchase of energy-effi-cient products. ENERGY STAR also qualifieshomes and buildings as energy-efficient.

▼EPA’s Indoor EnvironmentsDivision

<www.epa.gov/iaq>

This Web site highlights information onissues related to indoor air quality. Topicsdiscussed include asthma, radon, andmold. The site also provides indoor airquality information that is specific tohomes, schools, and buildings.

▼Water Alliances for VoluntaryEfficiency (WAVE)

<www.epa.gov/owm/faqw.htm>

This Web site provides information aboutWAVE, a voluntary partnership programthat encourages commercial businessesand institutions to practice water efficiency.Upon joining the program, membersreceive free technical support and accessto water-use analysis software.

E P AR e s o u r c e s —

W a s t e &M a t e r i a l s

for C&D and Green Bui ld ing

13 WasteWise Update

EPAResources

—OtherGreen

BuildingIssues

R e s o u r c e s


▼A Guide to Deconstruction.U.S. Department of Housingand Urban Development.February 2000.

<www.huduser.org/publications/pdf/decon.pdf>

This guide reviews the components andbenefits of deconstruction and links it tocommunity revitalization efforts. The guideprovides 10 detailed case studies ofdeconstruction materials reuse and recy-cling efforts throughout the country.

▼National Recycling Coalition’sBuy Recycled BusinessAlliance Case Studies

<http://brba.nrc-recycle.org/casestudies.htm>

These case studies feature leading U.S.companies that used recycled-contentmaterials and products for building con-struction and interior design.

▼Designing With Vision: A Technical Manual ForMaterial Choices InSustainable Construction.California Integrated WasteManagement Board. July 2000.

<www.ciwmb.ca.gov/GreenBuilding>

This manual highlights sustainable wastemanagement principles for planning,design, and construction of large-scaleprojects. It includes information on choos-ing, locating, and purchasing recycled-content building products; provides samplecontract language and recycled-contentbuilding product specifications; and identi-fies strategies for reusing and reducingconstruction materials and managing job-site waste.

▼Sustainable ArchitectureCompendium. NationalPollution Prevention Centerfor Higher Education,University of Michigan.August 1998.

<www.umich.edu/~nppcpub/resources/compendia/architecture.html>

Part of the Pollution Prevention inArchitecture Series, this instructive group ofreports features recycling and reuse “modules” on topics such as C&D recy-cling, adaptive reuse, and design for mate-rials recovery.

▼C&D Recycler. RecyclingtodayMedia Group.

<www.recyclingtoday.com/magazine>

This bimonthly journal includes feature sto-ries; industry, product, and equipmentnews; and editorials on the constructionand demolition recycling industry. Articlesfrom the current issue are available online.

▼Environmental Building News

<http://buildinggreen.com>

This leading newsletter on environmentallyresponsible construction features compre-hensive, practical information on topicsfrom energy efficiency and recycled-con-tent materials to land-use planning andindoor air quality. It also includes industrynews, product reviews, and case studies.Some articles and article summaries areavailable online.

▼Environmental Design +Construction. Business NewsPublishing II LLC.

<www.edcmag.com>

This bimonthly journal covers all aspects ofenvironmentally sound building design andconstruction, including recycled buildingproducts and systems of waste disposaland reuse. The Web site includes a search-able online buyers’ directory that lists com-panies offering environmentally preferableproducts and services.

▼King County, Washington:Map of Recycled ContentBuildings

<http://dnr.metrokc.gov/market/encompass>

This site allows visitors to take a virtual tourof sustainable buildings located in thePacific Northwest. A list of recycled-contentmaterials used in various buildings is alsoprovided.

▼California Integrated WasteManagement Board (CIWMB)

<www.ciwmb.ca.gov/condemo>

CIWMB’s construction and demolition recy-cling Web site is an excellent resource,providing commodity profiles, onlinereports, case studies, and sample C&Drecycling ordinances for local govern-ments.

▼Institute for Local SelfReliance’s (ILSR’s) BuildingDeconstruction Page

<www.ilsr.org/recycling/builddecon.html>

Part of ILSR’s Waste to Wealth waste reduc-tion and recycling-based economic devel-opment program, the buildingdeconstruction page highlights some of theorganization’s projects and publications.

O t h e rPublications

Perio dicals

W e bS i t e s

WasteWise Update 14


▼Sustainable Building Sources

<www.greenbuilder.com/general/BuildingSources.html>

This site features a Green BuildingProfessionals Directory, SustainableBuilding Events, and a Sustainable BuildingSourcebook that provides information onbuilding materials as well as water andenergy efficiency technologies.

▼Minnesota Sustainable DesignGuide

<www.sustainabledesignguide.umn.edu>

This online guide serves as a design toolthat can be used to address environmentalissues during the design, construction, andoperation of new and remodeled facilities.

▼Associated GeneralContractors (AGC)

<www.agc.org/Environmental_Info/Recycle_This.asp>

AGC is the largest construction trade asso-ciation in the country. Their Web siteincludes fact sheets and a brochure onC&D debris recycling.

▼Center for ResourcefulBuilding Technologies (CRBT)

<www.crbt.org/index.html>

A project of the National Center forAppropriate Technology, CRBT promotesenvironmentally responsible practices inconstruction. CRBT conducts research andprovides education on practicing resourceefficiency in building design, materialsselection, and construction practices.

▼Construction MaterialsRecycling Association (CMRA)

<www.cdrecycling.org>

This organization supports the needs of therapidly expanding North American con-struction waste and demolition debris pro-cessing and recycling industry.

▼U.S. Green Building Council(USGBC)

<www.usgbc.org>

The flagship organization for green build-ings, the USGBC rates green buildingsthrough its Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design program. Its morethan 500 members include architects, con-tractors, governments, nonprofit organiza-tions, product manufacturers, andcompanies.

▼University of Florida Centerfor Construction andEnvironment

<www.cce.ufl.edu>

One of the few academic centers of itskind in the country, the Center forConstruction and Environment conductsresearch and undertakes projects to mini-mize environmental impacts from buildingconstruction and demolition. The Web siteincludes case studies on past and currentdeconstruction projects.

▼Used Building MaterialsAssociation (UBMA)

<www.ubma.com>

This nonprofit, membership-based organi-zation represents companies and organiza-tions involved in the acquisition and/orredistribution of used building materials. ItsWeb site features the Used BuildingMaterials Exchange.

▼WasteSpec. ModelSpecifications for ConstructionWaste Reduction, Reuse, andRecycling. Triangle J Councilof Governments. July 1995.

<www.tjcog.dst.nc.us/cdwaste.htm>

This 114-page manual provides architectsand engineers with model specificationsand background information on wastereduction, reuse, and recycling before andduring construction and demolition.

▼Navy Family Housing ProjectStandards

<www.navfac.navy.mil/doclib/files/85H_Final_4May00.PDF>

This document outlines the standards andcriteria for designing, renovating, and con-structing Navy family housing and associ-ated facilities. Green building topicsinclude energy efficiency and sustainabledevelopment.

▼Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design (LEED)

<www.usgbc.org/programs/index.htm>

LEED—a system designed for rating newand existing commercial, institutional, andhigh-rise residential buildings—offers anabundance of resources pertaining togreen buildings. This site provides anoverview of the LEED rating system, links toresources, and a list of LEED-certified andLEED-registered projects.

▼Governor’s GreenGovernment Council (GGGC)

<www.gggc.state.pa.us>

The state of Pennsylvania’s GGGC pro-vides guidelines for creating high-perfor-mance green buildings. The council alsooffers information on Model Green Office

O r g a n i z a t i o n s

Green Building Codes,Specifications, and

Guidelines

15 WasteWise Update


WasteWise Update 16

Washington, DC 20460

Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5306W)EPA530-N-02-003www.epa.gov/wastewiseFebruary 2002

Official BusinessPenalty for Private Use $300

Leasing Specifications and renovating andretrofitting existing structures.

▼New York City Department ofDesign and Construction

<www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/ddc/home.html>

New York City’s High Performance BuildingGuidelines encompass a wide array ofgreen building topics ranging from designprocess and site planning to building ener-gy use and material and product selection.

▼The Harris Directory

This computer database for Windows listsconstruction products made with recovered

materials in a Construction SpecificationsInstitute format. Contact Ms. B.J. HarrisP.O. Box 31133 Santa Fe, NM 87594 USA505/983-2962; e-mail:<[email protected]>

▼Oikos Green Product Gallery

<www.oikos.com/products>

This online gallery provides information ona variety of green building products suchas flooring, natural oil-based finishes, non-ozone-depleting insulation foam, andstructural components.

▼GreenOrder

<http://greenorder.com>

This online catalog offers information onconstruction products, including concrete,thermal and moisture protection products,furnishing, and equipment.

2 Printed on paper that contains at least 50 percent postconsumer fiber.

Recycled/GreenBui lding Product

Director ies

If you have received thispublication in error orwant to be removed fromthe WasteWise Updatemailing list, please call the WasteWise Helpline at 800 EPA-WISE (372-9473) or send acopy of this page, with themailing label, back toWasteWise at the addressbelow. Many WasteWisepublications, including theWasteWise Update, areavailable electronically onthe WasteWise Web siteat <www.epa.gov/wastewise>.


WasteWise Update: Building for the Future

Documents

Transcript of WasteWise Update: Building for the Future