Medical University of South Carolina
Construction & Demolition Waste Management and Recycling
Medical University of South Carolina requires that as much waste material as possible produced
as a result of this project be salvaged, reused, or recycled in order to conserve resources and to
meet state legislative requirements governing waste generation. To this end, the Contractor shall
develop with the assistance of the University’s designated representative a Waste Management
and Recycling Plan. The purpose of this plan is to project in advance what types of waste are
likely to be generated and how they will be handled. This information serves to assure the
University that waste material will be handled appropriately, as well as to assist the developer in
planning operational needs for waste reduction and recycling as they relate to the different phases
of the project. Once the plan is approved and the project is underway, the contractor will be
required to submit monthly reports detailing actual reuse, salvage, recycling and solid waste
disposal taking place. Specific requirements for the monthly reports are included in this
document. The initial plan and subsequent reports should be prepared using the format provided
in this document.
Following the SC Solid Waste Policy and Management Act, Medical University of South
Carolina prioritizes waste material recovery based on the hierarchy: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
According to this hierarchy, the primary effort should be to reduce (waste prevention) the amount
of waste created in the first place. Material that is generated should be reused or salvaged to the
greatest extent possible. Finally, waste material that cannot be reduced or reused should be
recycled. The Contractor is strongly encouraged to design and implement its waste management
plan based on these principles.
Effective construction and demolition recovery practices can lead to substantial cost savings. In
Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester Counties, landfill tipping fees are currently $19.00 - $26.00
a ton, not including hauling or labor costs. Though proper sorting and storage of waste materials
for recycling and salvage require additional labor, high garbage costs still make material recovery
economical. Medical University of South Carolina may even provide some disposal options that
are free.
Waste Management Plan Requirements
Waste Prevention
The plan should discuss waste prevention practices that will be employed. Examples might
include ordering materials on an “as-needed” basis to prevent over ordering, purchasing carpet or
other materials in shape and form that minimizes excessive scrap waste, etc. This section should
provide an overview but need not provide the specific information such as quantities, etc.
Material Salvage
Information should be provided on what salvaging activities will take place. Discussion should
include how materials will be salvaged so as to prevent unnecessary damage that would render
them unusable. As with the recycling element of the plan, details should also be provided
regarding how materials will be collected, stored, transported, and to whom they will be
delivered. Sample materials that should be discussed include usable lumber and other wood
products, pallets/ shipping containers, paint, appliances, fixtures, windows and carpeting. The
plan should detail what materials are to be generated during the different phases of the project.
Recycling
 Identify Waste Materials
The plan should profile the major types of waste material likely to be generated. The plan
should include but not be limited to the following materials: wood debris, concrete, drywall/
gypsum board, cardboard, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, fluorescent tubes, pallets and
roofing materials. For each material type, the plan should identify estimated quantities during
the different phases of the project. The plan should also identify material types likely to be
disposed as garbage and provide reasoning (i.e. insignificant quantities, difficulty of
segregating or storing).

Material Handling
The plan should detail how materials will be handled on the job site. This explanation should
include materials that will be collected from the point of generation, how they will be stored
(segregated or co-mingled, in containers or piles, etc.) until removal from the job site to the
end user. The plan should also list how materials will be hauled off site (by contractor or
private service) and which companies or services will be receiving materials.
Additional Information
The plan should also provide the following information:

Steps that will be taken to educate and encourage recovery efforts among workers and subcontractors.

Identify potential obstacles to comprehensive waste recovery. This section should discuss
conflicts such as lack of storage space, difficulty of segregating materials, etc. that have the
potential to prevent effective waste recovery. The plan should also discuss how any obstacles
would be addressed.

The plan should designate a liaison to the University’s Solid Waste Reduction Manager on
waste and recycling issues.
Monthly Report Requirements
The monthly reports should provide the following information:

Tonnages of all waste or salvage material generated during the reporting period, including
garbage, reusable and recyclable items. Reporting should be done by weight for recycling and
standard unit measurement for reuse or salvaging. Actual recorded weights should be used
wherever possible. In situations where this is not feasible, estimates based on volume may be
used.

State whether recycling and/ or material reuse activities are proceeding as originally detailed
in the Waste Management Plan. Any obstacles that are significantly preventing diversion
activity from achieving the originally stated goals should be described along with actions that
will be taken to correct the situation.