OFF-SITE WASTE SORTING AND RECYCLING
On our most recent project, Greening Homes is trying out a new method of recycling our construction and demolition waste. Whereas we had previously separated materials on-site and hauled them to various transfer stations for recycling, our new method takes advantage of a service provided by Waste Management (WM), who offer off-site sorting and recycling.
Under this new waste disposal program, we have one mixed-waste bin on-site in which we put all of our waste; this takes some getting used to for us, as we’re accustomed to separating our various recyclables. When the bin is full, it is taken to the WM transfer station where it is dumped on the yard floor and separated into various recyclables and landfill waste and sent to the appropriate processing facility. At the end of each month, we get a detailed report telling us how much of each type of waste was produced and what percentage was recycled. Of course, we still separate hazardous wastes such as fluorescent lamps, old paint cans, batteries, etc. to be disposed at the municipal hazardous waste depot. We also separate scrap metal when there’s sufficient salvage value to make it worthwhile for our clients (the value of the scrap is credited directly to their account).
We hope that this new construction waste management program will yield several benefits:
- Increased efficiency for managing waste on our sites
- Lower waste disposal costs for our clients
- Higher rate of waste diverted from landfill
- Improved tracking of waste diversion rates
We are eagerly anticipating our first monthly waste management report! Stay tuned for more information on this program.