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Sustainable, or "green," building is gaining momentum as more professionals recognize a tremendous opportunity to prevent waste, recover materials, and conserve resources. Sustainable building projects incorporate energy, water, and material efficiencies into design, construction, operation, and demolition. The WasteWise Building Challenge focuses on reducing, reusing, and recycling construction and demolition (C&D) debris. Whether you are renovating office space or building a new production plant, consider the savings associated with resource-efficient construction.

Reducing Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris

Reducing, reusing, and recycling C&D debris can cut overall project expenses by avoiding disposal and purchasing costs, generating revenue from the sale of materials, and creating opportunities for tax breaks through material donations. Other benefits include conserving landfill space, avoiding the environmental effects of manufacturing new building products, and enhancing your organization's public image.

Similarly, purchasing recycled building products can help improve markets for recyclables, enhance your public image, and help federal agencies and their contractors meet the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines mandates.

How can my company reduce, reuse, and recycle C&D debris?

• Incorporate environmental specifications into your building contracts and guidelines.


• Develop standard operating procedures for C&D reuse and recycling at your construction site.


• Rehabilitate an existing structure in place of planned demolition.


• Use deconstruction techniques rather than demolition if a building must be torn down.


• Employ efficient framing to reduce the amount of lumber used without sacrificing structural integrity.


• Invest in durable products to ensure that materials last as long as possible.


• Return unused construction material to vendors.


• Consider the end-of-life management, or recyclability, of building products at the start of a project.


• Salvage C&D waste for sale and reuse.


• Purchase recycled-content building materials including insulation, carpet, cement, paint, floor tiles, shower and restroom dividers, laminated paperboard, and structural fiberboard.

What resources do you have to help my company reduce C&D debris?

Visit the Building Challenge resources page for useful Web sites, publications, articles, and trade associations. In addition, check out the WasteWise Update: Building for the Future.[PDF, 2.2 MB]

How do I join the Building Challenge?

Simply complete and submit the online pledge card indicating which C&D debris reduction or recycled products purchasing activities your organization would like to explore.

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Last Updated: August 15, 2008