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Construction Renovation & Demolition
It is estimated that 25 - 40 percent of the national solid waste stream is building-related waste.
Construction, renovation and demolition sites typically generate waste from wood, concrete, brick , metals, various building materials, plastics, glass, roofing, insulation. Construction of a typical 2,000 sq ft home generates about 3,636 kg of waste materials mainly from sawn and engineered wood, drywall, cardboard, masonry.
Currently construction, renovation and demolition generate many leftover materials. An average house demolished can create up to 42 tonnes of waste. Although demolition generates the bulk of waste, there is a huge potential to reduce waste during construction and renovation. Many of these materials are recyclable and could, with improved planning, be reduced, saving both material and disposal costs. Some communities support recycling for concrete, asphalt, shingles and brick for crushing or reuse.
Deconstruction, an alternative to traditional demolition, involves manually disassembling buildings to maximize the salvage. Athough it takes longer than traditional demolition, the trade-off is job creation, business development and waste being diverted from landfills.
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