Integrating Construction, Demolition, and
Recycling
By: Brooke Morgan
At this time in Northwest Arkansas, thousands of tons
of valuable resources are being dumped in the
Tontitown landfill. These resources take up finite
landfill space and are being kept out of the economic
loop. The closed portion of the Tontitown landfill is
over sixty acres in diameter and roughly eleven stories
tall. The Tontitown landfill contains both class 1 and
class 4 waste streams.
Defintion of Class 1 Landfill
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More commonly known as trash or household
garbage, MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) consists of
the non-hazardous waste we use every day. A Class
1 landfill is where the items we throw away is buried
after being picked up by garbage trucks. Product
packaging, plastic bottles, food scraps and
newspaper from our homes, schools and businesses
are dumped in Class 1 category landfills. *
Definition of Class 4 Landfill
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A Class 4 landfill area will contain waste building
materials, deredging materials, tree stumps, and
rubble resulting from construction, remodeling,
renovation, repair, and demolition of homes,
businesses and other commercial buildings,
structures and pavements. Some of these materials
may contain lead, asbestos, or other hazardous
materials.
Class 4 Waste (Continued)
Even if people take into consideration that what we
use in our houses goes to the landfill, we may not
necessarily think of how much waste is accumulated in
the building of our homes.
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C&D debris consists of materials such as concrete,
wood, asphalt, gypsum, metals, bricks, glass, and
plastics; along with salvaged components such as
windows, doors, and plumbing fixtures.
Most C&D waste ends up in a landfill. Only
approximately 10% is recovered for other usage.
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MSW Generation**
This is a closed portion of the Class 1 area
in the Tontiown landfill.
4 landfill area. This is separate from municipal solid waste (MSW); however, it is sti
This Is Our Class 4 Landfill
rty minutes five garbage trucks unloaded between six and fifteen tons of waste each. This
C&D Pie Chart**
Few of these resources are recycled; 90% are sent to landfills.
How Big a Piece of the Waste Stream Pie
is Construction and Demolition?**
m the pie chart, construction and demolition trash accounts for approximately 17%
Waste Facts
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The Tontitown landfill is the only landfill in
Northwest Arkansas.
The Tontitown community receives $1.50 for every
ton of garbage interred in the landfill.
Up to 33 million tons of waste have been saved from
landfills and incinerators across America from 1990
to 2000.
Construction and Demolition and the
Waste It Creates
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For my service learning project, I
learned about the different stages of
residential construction. The
following slides present the different
phases of construction and the waste
produced by each stage.
First Phase of Construction
Framing the house takes about two weeks, weather permitting. Debris and
wood scraps of all shapes and sizes are discarded. Some wood scraps are
treated though most are not. Small wood scraps could be turned into pellets for
wood-burning stoves.
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Second Phase of Construction
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Mechanics take about 2-3 weeks. This is
when the plumbing, heat and air get put in, as
well as the electrical. At the same time, the
brick, siding and roof are being installed.
Debris from this phase include cardboard,
PVC, copper, other types of metal , excess
wiring, and plastic wrappings that packaged
the fixtures.
Third Phase of Construction
Dry-in takes 4-5 days. During this phase, the roof gets
tar-papered and shingled. Accumulated debris includes
asphalt shingles and tar-paper.
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Fourth Phase of Construction
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Roughing-In – Involves the installation of
sheet rock and insulation. This phase
lasts 2-3 days.
Leftover sheet rock and insulation scraps
account for debris amassed during the
Roughing-In stage.
Final Phase of Construction
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“Finishing Out” - During this phase, enough debris
is accumulated to fill a two-car garage.
From this phase of construction, materials such as
cardboard, shrink-wrap, and Styrofoam from all of
the electrical fixtures and appliances account for the
collected waste.
Challenges of Removing Construction
Debris from the Job Site
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The space on site;
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The space in the street;
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The weather;
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The scheduling of different subcontractors;
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Having a reliable mobile unit to remove the debris in
a timely manner.
Solutions for Removing Construction
Debris from a Job Site
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An independent firm with flexible laborers, able to
remove construction waste at any given time.
Senior citizens who are able to pick up, and
subsequently utilize, lumber scraps, et cetera for
projects.
Have Eagle Scouts earning badges to participate in a
construction site clean up project.
An on-site mulcher owned by the primary contractor
to mulch leftover wood debris.
Conclusion
Many people think about Class 1 waste, the waste that results from daily
living. However, few people outside builders and contractors think about all of
the Class 4 waste, which is waste generated during the construction, renovation
or demolition of a home or business.
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Class 4 waste has value that isn't being realized. By landfilling this waste we
are keeping valuable resources out of the economic loop.
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There is an entrepreneurial opportunity for someone who is able to figure out
how to remove items from the construction site and be able to place the assets in
an appropriate market place.
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Special Thanks
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Louise Mann
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Mikel Lolley
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Gavin Edwards
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John Frank
Sources
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United States Environmental Protection Agency
website for facts and defintions (epa.gov)
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Louise Mann
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Gavin Edwards
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**Google Images for charts