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Waste Wise Updat
BUILDING FOR
THE FUTURE
INSIDE
CONSTRUCTION
& DEMOLITION
DEBRIS
REDUCTION ... 4
RESOURCE-
EFFICIENT BUILDING
MATERIALS 10
RESOURCES. .13
&ERA
WASTE
Preserving Resources,
Preventing Waste
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Waste Wise Update
Building for the Future
From the first moment of construction until the day it is demolished, a building
affects its surrounding environment. It consumes energy, water, and materials; affects
the air, land, and water around it; and creates an artificial indoor environment for
those who work, live, or play in it. Buildings that are designed, constructed, operat-
ed, and ultimately removed in such a way as to minimize their environmental
impacts are referred to as "high-performance, " "sustainable, " or "green" buildings—a hot topic in
both the environmental and construction arenas.
You can make your organization's buildings greener by improving their energy and water effi-
ciency, employing renewable sources of energy, improving indoor air quality, and using materi-
als more efficiently. This issue of the WasteWise Update looks primarily at the materials
efficiency aspects of green buildings, including the reduction, reuse, and recycling of
construction and demolition (C&D) debris, and the use of recycled, reused, and
otherwise "resource-efficient" building products.
If green buildings are ultimately about the safe and efficient use of
resources, then the ways in which materials are used and disposed of in
the building process are essential to this growing movement. The
United States Geological Survey has estimated that construction
accounts for 60 percent of all materials used in the United States for
purposes other than food and fuel.1 This amounts to billions of tons
of material used every year to construct buildings, roads, bridges,
and other structures.
USGS Factsheet FS-068-98, "Materials Flow
and Sustainability" (June 1998)
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WasteWise Update
WasteWise Building Challenge
In early 2002, WasteWise will launch the Building Challenge to provide program partners with an opportunity to gain
technical assistance and recognition for reducing C&D waste and purchasing recycled-content building products. To help
partners develop and implement Building Challenge programs, WasteWise will distribute CD-ROMs containing
Environmental Building News archives to the first 50 partners that sign up. The CD-ROMs contain every issue of this green
building newsletter from 1992 to 2000. For additional information about the WasteWise Building Challenge, please call
the WasteWise Helpline at 800 EPA-WISE or send an e-mail to .
The environmental impact of building, therefore, starts
when these materials are first harvested (e.g., trees) or
mined (e.g., metals, crushed stone, sand, gravel, and gyp-
sum). How they are extracted and how much is taken can
affect the surrounding environment, including the condi-
tion of soil, streams, and forests. Processing, manufactur-
ing, and transporting these products causes additional
environmental impacts, resulting from industrial pollu-
tion, the burning of fuel, and the processes employed.
Many steps of the production process release greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere: burning fossil fuels releases car-
bon dioxide; harvesting trees releases carbon dioxide
stored in forests; and landfilling biodegradable materials
can lead to methane releases. All of these effects together
constitute the life-cycle impact of a building.
Although this Update focuses on solid waste and resource
conservation issues, it is important to remember that green
building has many different aspects, and your organization
will benefit most by taking a "whole-building" approach
that considers all the environmental impacts—and trade-
offs—of the building decisions you make.
The mention of any company, product, or process in this publication does not constitute or imply
endorsement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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Waste Wise Update
Construction
& Demolition
Debris
Reduction
onstruction and demolition
(C&D) debris constitutes the
waste generated during con-
Cstruction, renovation, and demolition projects. C&D waste commonly includes
building materials and products such as concrete, asphalt, wood, glass, brick,
metal, gypsum wallboard, roofing, insulation, doors, windows and frames, flooring, and furni-
ture. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that approximately 136 mil-
lion tons of building-related C&D debris were generated in 1996—the majority from demolition
(48 percent) and renovation (44 percent). New construction generated only 8 percent of building-
related C&D debris.
Such a large and complex waste stream pre
sents many opportunities for reducing the
waste and costs associated with building
activities. Reducing C&D debris can cut
overall project expenses by avoiding dis-
posal costs and the purchase of new
materials, by generating revenue from
the sale of materials, and by creating
opportunities for tax breaks through
material donations. Other benefits
include conserving landfill space,
reducing the environmental effects of
producing new materials, helping
contractors and building owners
comply with local and state regula-
tions, and enhancing the public image
of the organization that is reducing the
debris. Many WasteWise partners spend
significant amounts of time and money
constructing, renovating, and/or demolish-
ing public, commercial, or academic buildings—
including office buildings, factories, warehous-
es, and other structures. Tackling the waste
stream from these activities allows your
organization to extend its WasteWise
waste reduction successes into the new
arena of C&D.
To minimize the environmental
impact of buildings and structures,
your organization can take many steps
to reuse and recycle used building
materials and prevent waste. From
incorporating used or environmentally
preferable materials into a building's
construction or renovation, to disas-
sembling structures for the reuse and
recycling of their components, each
phase of a building's life cycle offers
opportunities to reduce waste.
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WasteWise Update
Waste Reduction in the
Design Phase
Waste reduction opportunities begin with the earliest
choices made in the building process, including architec-
tural design and material selection. Effectively balancing
resource-efficient design concepts requires the attention of
skilled and environmentally conscious building profession-
als. These concepts include waste prevention, durability,
and recyclability.
Waste Prevention
Waste prevention techniques minimize the amount of
materials used during construction and renovation. For
example, a technique from the homebuilding field, known
as "optimum value engineering (OVE)" or "efficient fram-
ing," reduces the amount of wood used in the framing
process without sacrificing structural integrity. Additional
information on OVE techniques can be found on the
Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing
Technology Inventory at .
Durability
Although durable products can be more expensive and
contain more material than their traditional counterparts,
they offer many long-term benefits through avoided mainte-
nance and replacement costs. Additionally, products that are
more durable can enhance safety and prevent a building's
other high-performance features—such as energy efficien-
cy—from deteriorating. The durability of a building comes
not only from the materials used to build it, but from the
quality of the construction. For example, building to avoid
problems such as water infiltration will do much to ensure
that materials last as long as possible.
Recyc/ab///fy
Recyclability considers the end-of-life management of
building products from the very start. The University of
Florida's Center for Construction and Environment is cur-
rently conducting research on the concept of designing
buildings to facilitate the ultimate disassembly and reuse of
their components.
WasteWise would like to thank the following individuals for their
assistance in reviewing this publication: Cathy Berlow, Brad Guy,
Karen Kivela, Alison Kinn, and Bill Turley.
EPA Builds Waste Reductio
into New Facility
The foundation of a green building is set long before t
digging begins. For EPA's mammoth 1-million-square-
laboratory and office complex in Research Triangle Par
(RTF), North Carolina, project managers scrutinized ev
aspect of the design phase—working closely with designs
contractors, and the local environmental agency—to ensi
that waste prevention, recycling, and recycled products
were incorporated into the construction plan and executi
EPA worked with its design firm, Hellmuth, Obata, and
Kassabaum (HOK), to choose the most environmentally
preferable materials and products for its facility. HOK
developed a survey asking manufacturers and vendors
provide information on the environmental aspects of 1
products throughout their life cycle. The result is HOK
Healthy and Sustainable Building Materials Database,
available online at .
The designers created ample space for recycling room
and containers. They also encouraged future waste pre-
vention by employing "modular design," which reduce
remodeling waste by creating moveable walls and pa
tions, thereby allowing the larger structure, as well as
lights, sprinklers, and outlets, to remain stationary.
With the design phase complete, reducing and manaj
scrap materials generated during construction was this
challenge. Contractors traditionally place all debris int
the same receptacle and haul it to a landfill. On this :
EPA incorporated waste separation and recovery into 1
contract specifications and closely monitored every step of
the process, including the initial clearing of the land, Hur
ing which the contractor sold trees for timber and gro
remaining wood into mulch. Once the project was coi
pleted, more than 20 million pounds of materials hac
been diverted from the landfill—an 80 percent recove
rate, according to EPA project manager Chris Long.
"As far as recycling is concerned, [contractors] are ger
ly not used to it, but they are capable of doing it," Lor
said. With a cooperative contractor—who went the exl
mile and hired individuals to monitor recovery activitis
in addition to persistence, supervision, and education,
800-person crew successfully addressed the green buildinc
goals set forth by EPA. For both EPA project managers and
contractors, Long says "it has been a growing experience.
Recognizing RTF as a model for recycling construction
waste, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)
honored the facility with a GSA Environmental Aw
April 2001. To read more about this new co—'"
many other green features, visit the project''
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Waste Wise Update
Greening the Code
Building codes establish the minimum acceptable require-
ments necessary for protecting public health, safety, and
welfare in a building's environment. The following examples
illustrate how communities are incorporating green or sus-
tainable standards into building codes and guidelines.
• Santa Monica, California's Green Building program
includes requirements for C&D waste management. The
requirements include recycling C&D waste in construction
contracts, specifying the reuse of salvaged building and
landscape materials, and designing interior building
components for future disassembly, reuse, and recycling.
Other sections of the code require specifying wood from
sustainably managed sources and the use of low-emis-
sion finishes and materials to reduce indoor pollution.
• The U.S. Navy requires contractors to incorporate green
building components into their designs. The Sustainable
Development Requirements in the Navy Family Housing
Project state:
"All Navy Family Housing Construction, Improvement,
Repair and Privatization projects shall incorporate
Sustainable Development principles. Application of these
principles will reduce consumption of energy, and other
non-renewable resources; minimize waste of water and
materials; prevent pollution and associated environmen-
tal impacts and liabilities, increase energy and resource
efficiency, and improve human health. The result will
reduce life-cycle operating costs for Navy Families."
• Portland, Oregon's building codes mandate that all
building projects with costs exceeding $25,000 (including
construction and demolition), must recycle materials gen-
erated onsite.
Contracts and Specifications
Incorporating environmental guidelines into your con-
tracts and specifications will clarify your expectations of
architects and builders and ensure that they integrate your
goals into the building plans. Sample green building specifi-
cations can be used as templates. Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED), a rating system created by
the U.S. Green Building Council, provides green building
guidelines that organizations can follow to qualify their
buildings as environmentally sound. LEED includes stan-
dards on topics such as maximizing the salvage of existing
structures, maximizing recycling and reuse during construc-
tion, and specifying recycled or reused building materials.
Even if your organization does not go through the entire
LEED rating process, you can incorporate elements of the
LEED standards into your building contract specifications.
An increasing number of organizations and governments,
such as the city of Seattle and the U.S. General Services
Administration, require that their buildings be built to meet
or exceed LEED standards.
A number of organizations and governments have devel-
oped their own specifications—for example, New York City
created its own high-performance building guidelines (see
Resources section for more information). Although most
local green building programs have a broad focus, which
includes waste reduction and recycled product sections,
WasteSpec is a set of specifications that focuses exclusively
on waste issues. Developed by North Carolina's Triangle J
Council of Governments, WasteSpec provides model lan-
guage to address the use of waste reduction techniques, reuse
of construction waste material, salvage of C&D waste for
sale or reuse, and return of unused construction material to
vendors. WasteSpec is available free of charge at
.
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WasteWise Update
The Construction and
Renovation Phases
Once your organization breaks ground on a new con-
struction, renovation, or remodeling project, numerous
opportunities for reuse and recycling can be identified.
During these phases, you will need to ensure that contrac-
tors fulfill the waste reduction goals or specifications out-
lined in your contracts. Because incorporating reuse and
recycling activities into the construction and renovation
phases may be new to building professionals, developing
new standard operating procedures is recommended.
Education and motivation of construction staff may also
prove beneficial. One way to motivate contractors is to let
them keep revenues from recycling and savings from
avoided landfill costs due to waste reduction.
Building contractors should be required to develop a
plan for reducing, reusing, or recycling the wastes they
generate onsite. First, careful estimation of required
materials to be ordered will help reduce the amount of
wasted materials. Second, markets for recyclable products
should be identified. Some materials (such as metals,
cardboard packaging, bricks, concrete, and wood) often
have strong markets; others (such as drywall, vinyl prod-
ucts, or carpeting) may vary from region to region. It
may take creativity and persistence to find markets for
certain materials. One resource is the Construction
Materials Recycling Association (CMRA), an association
of C&D debris generators, haulers, processors, recyclers,
and remanufacturers. CMRA provides information and
technical assistance about C&D debris recycling.
After establishing recycling systems at the construc-
tion site, both contractors and subcontractors should
receive instructions on sorting their waste. Renovation
projects in particular may present opportunities for
recovering high-quality building components or fixtures
for reuse. Hundreds of building material reuse stores
around the country accept used materials as a tax-
deductible, charitable contribution. Habitat for
Humanity's national network of Re-Stores sell used and
surplus building materials to fund new building projects.
Other groups involved in the resale of building materials
include local nonprofit organizations and military
groups. The Used Building Materials Association
(UBMA), and the Reuse Development Organization
(ReDO) also provide information on locating and work-
ing with reuse stores. Refer to the Resources section for
more information.
U.S. Green Building Council's
Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED)
Green Building Rating Systei
LEED, a self-certification system developed by the U.S.
Green Building Council, rates the "greenness" of new c
existing commercial, institutional, and multi-family resic
tial buildings. LEED helps builders design sustainable
buildings that save resources and provide environment
and health benefits to owners, occupants, and the comm
nity. Buildings must be designed, constructed, and operat
ed according to specific sustainable criteria in order to
earn LEED credits. Buildings that meet the LEED criter
are awarded the "LEED Building" designation within t
appropriate level of certification (Platinum, Gold, Silve
and Certified). The criteria include both mandatory pr
uisites and a range of optional credits.
LEED's commercial building rating system is based on
categories: Sustainable Site Planning, Improving Energy
Efficiency, Conserving Materials and Resources, Enhancing
Indoor Environmental Quality, and Safeguarding Wa
Several credits focus on resource conservation, recycl
and reuse. For example, one of LEED's prerequisites is
"provision of a centralized, ground-floor location for s
age and collection of recyclables." LEED credits are a
awarded for activities such as:
• Rehabilitating an existing building instead of demo
ing and rebuilding.
• Reusing salvaged materials.
• Using materials with high recycled content.
• Developing a construction waste management pla
• Using local materials.
A similar rating system, LEED Commercial Interiors (L
Cl), is being developed for tenants of commercial bui
ings and the designers and architects they hire.
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Waste Wise Update
Aspen Skiing Company
Prevents Mountains of Waste
No stone was left unturned—literally—when Aspen Skiing
Company (ASC) sought to deconstruct its Sundeck Restaurant
and Snowmass Lodge and Club in 1 999. ASC salvaged as
much as it could, including the stones comprising Sundeck
Restaurant's fireplace. The company donated the stones to
the Aspen Historical Society, which in turn auctioned them for
a total of $25,000. In this project, ASC salvaged 84 percent
of the building, saved thousands of dollars, and rebuilt the
restaurant and lodge into a LEED-certified complex.
"Deconstruction and salvage takes more time and energy,
but it extends the life of the landfill and helps protect nat-
ural resources," said Auden Schendler, ASC's Director of
Environmental Affairs. Rather than hiring a new contractor,
ASC worked with its existing contractor to salvage parts
and separate materials.
For a successful salvage, ASC needed an outlet for the mate-
rials and products. The project managers planned a parking
lot "yard sale" and advertised the event with posters and
newspaper announcements. An hour before the sale started,
20 pickup trucks had already lined up filled with eager
homeowners, contractors, and hotel owners refurbishing
their own facilities. In only 4 hours, all of the items were
gone. ASC sold 100 sliding doors, 80 windows, 24 fir closet
doors, a few 40-foot beams, and a trash bin full of plywood
and TGI (pressed wood "I") beams. ASC netted $10,000
from the yard sale and earned another $58,000 by selling
old furniture to employees at a discount.
ASC also rented a grinder to process the concrete,
sheetrock, and wood generated from the deconstruction.
Grinding these materials reduced their volume by 500
percent, which cut costs by reducing the number of times
the contractor sent trucks to the landfill. ASC used the
ground concrete as backfill and sent the ground wood and
sheetrock to the landfill's windrow composting operation.
The landfill manager waived the $21 .50 per-cubic-yard
tipping fee for the wood and sheetrock because he could
later sell the finished compost.
Schendler said his biggest piece of advice for other
WasteWise partners is to negotiate with contractors to
incorporate cost savings and revenues into the contract.
By demonstrating that deconstruction can be cost-effective,
ASC hopes to start a trend among builders, and a broader
movement within the skiing industry. For more information
on ASC's environmental programs, visit
.
The Demolition/
Deconstruction Phase
Although Rome's Coliseum is still standing after 2,000
years, most of our buildings are not quite so durable. When
a building comes to the end of its useful life, the amount of
waste created by its removal can be minimized through
waste reduction techniques. Most buildings are taken down
through demolition, and rubble is sometimes recycled for
uses such as road-building aggregate. In fact, some sites have
demonstrated that enormous amounts of debris from the
demolition of existing structures can be reused in new struc-
tures being built at the demolition site. When the Seattle
Kingdome was torn down in March 2000, a remarkable 97
percent of the project waste was recycled into the new stadi-
um complex. This resulted not only in savings of more than
$3 million, but reduced truck traffic to and from the site by
an estimated 4,500 trips.
Today, interest in an alternative—or complementary—
practice known as "deconstruction" is increasing.
Deconstruction maximizes the salvage of building materi-
als for reuse or recycling by selectively disassembling
buildings. Currently, valuable items, such as chandeliers
and fixtures, are frequently removed from buildings before
demolition. Deconstruction, however, goes one level deep-
er and concentrates on recovering items such as flooring,
siding, windows, doors, bricks, plumbing fixtures, ceiling
tiles, and structural components. As a result, deconstruc-
tion is labor-intensive and often relies on the use of hand
tools and manpower to take apart buildings and struc-
tures. The potential benefits of deconstruction include job
creation, resource conservation, and waste reduction. In
the future, mechanized deconstruction using a combina-
tion of manual labor and machinery may increase the
speed and efficiency of the deconstruction process. When
deconstructing buildings, workers should take precautions to
protect themselves from exposure to substances such as lead-
based paint and asbestos. EPA's Lead Program
(www.epa.gov/opptintr/lead/) and Asbestos Program
(www.epa.gov/oppt/asbestos) offer useful information about
these toxins.
Whereas traditional demolition treats a building as a
financial liability, deconstruction recognizes the inherent
value in the building's components and can reduce the over-
all cost of demolition. Before constructing the Four Times
Square Office Tower in Manhattan, the contractor first
removed six existing buildings. By salvaging all usable mate-
rials and recycling as much of the remaining C&D debris as
possible, the contractor saved more than $800,000 by selling
the salvaged material and reducing disposal fees.
In fact, not every building will warrant deconstruction. A
building should be assessed to determine the condition and
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WasteWise Update
Donates Building Supplies
New and used plumbing fixtures, paints, carpeting, and lumber
from the Walt Disney World® Resort properties in Orange County,
Florida, found a second home through Disney's Recycle Plus pro-
gram. In 2000 alone, Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID)
and Walt Disney World® Resort donated more than $65,000 of
reusable building supplies to local affordable housing programs,
churches, and nonprofit organizations through the Orange County
Community Distribution Center. When the program began, it pri-
marily donated unused construction supplies, but it gradually
expanded to include virtually any type of building material—new or
used—that could be used in an affordable housing program.
In a collaborative effort, Disney worked with the Orange County
Community Distribution Center to redistribute the materials to
local organizations. Supplies were collected from Disney's numer-
ous properties in Orange County and delivered to the distribution
center, which was staffed by county inmates as part of a ware-
house training program. By redistributing supplies, the Recycle
Plus program simultaneously prevented materials from being sent
to a landfill and provided needed supplies for refurbishing and
building homes.
value of its materials and identify potential outlets for them.
This assessment should look not only at the value of selling
salvaged materials, but also the value of giving them away as
tax-deductible contributions and the savings
from avoided disposal costs. Although
the extra labor required to decon
struct a building may represent
an added cost, deconstruction
is being used in some areas
as a prime opportunity to
utilize and train at-risk
youths, welfare-to-work
program participants, and
others in the construction
trade. For example, the
Institute for Local Self
Reliance (ILSR) worked with
the Hartford (Connecticut)
Housing Authority (HHA) to
deconstruct six units of a local housing
complex. The project trained nine public hous-
ing residents, providing them with the skills to obtain full-
time positions with a local deconstruction company. In this
way, the removal of a building can represent an exciting
opportunity for WasteWise partners to empower and engage
their surrounding communities.
Deconstructing Kodak Park
Located in Rochester, New York, Eastman Kodak
Company's offices and manufacturing facilities
reside on a 1,900-acre park. Six years ago,
the company began consolidating
space among its 200 buildings. As
part of this effort, Kodak decon-
structed more than 40 buildings
on the site, reusing as much of
the original construction
material as possible. George
Thomas, manager of Kodak's
pollution prevention program,
described the effort as "a good
way to minimize costs and 'do
the right thing.'" Many of the
buildings ranged from 10 to 100
years old. Valuable wooden beams
prized by collectors were reused by the
demolition contractor. The company also recovered
more than 50,000 tons of brick, concrete, and asphalt from
its old buildings. Kodak stockpiled this material, hired a con-
tractor to crush it into aggregate twice each year, and reused
the material onsite as fill. Thomas explained that the cost of
new aggregate was comparable to the cost per ton of crushing
the salvaged material, but Kodak saved big—nearly $2.7 mil-
lion—in avoided disposal fees.
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Waste Wise Update
10
Resource-Efficient
Building Materials
There are many widely available high-performance
and cost-effective green alternatives to traditional
construction and renovation materials. WasteWise partners
familiar with green building methods have noticed a steady increase in the avail-
ability, quantity, and variety of recycled construction and renovation supplies over
the years. This increase reflects growing demand as more and more organizations are discovering the
economic and environmental benefits of green building.
Sustainable Landscaping
Green building can include the green stuff outside the
building too—lawns, gardens, even golf courses. From
using hydraulic mulch (a mixture of wood waste and paper
fiber), to landscaping lawns with recycled-content rubber
edging, organizations can use a variety of environmentally
sustainable lawn and garden products. EPA's
Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines offer information
on an array of recycled-content landscaping materials
such as garden and soaker hoses, plastic lumber land-
scaping timbers, and compost made from yard trimmings
or food waste.
Additional information about the uses and benefits of
compost can be obtained from the U.S. Composting
Council Web site, .
Recycled-content products belong to a broader category
of green building supplies including products made without
hazardous substances, energy-efficient products (including
ENERGY STAR®-labeled products, ranging from roofing to
appliances to windows), and water-conserving devices2.
Although there is a wide variety of "resource-efficient" build-
ing products, this section of the Update focuses specifically
on building products with recycled content.
Many recycled-content building products on the market
are more common, available, and affordable than you might
think. The National Recycling Coalition's Buy Recycled
Business Alliance (BRBA) developed case studies of 18
organizations that have incorporated recycled materials into
their buildings. These case studies demonstrate the wide
range of products being used in construction and renova-
tion projects today. WasteWise partners featured in the
BRBA case studies include:
• Ben and Jerry's uses countertops made from recycled
marble and plastic, and wainscoting and wall paneling
with recycled cork.
• The Body Shop's American headquarters features carpet-
ing made from 100 percent recycled PET plastic soda
bottles and floor tiles containing recycled glass.
• Bridging the Gap furnished it's headquarters in Kansas
City, Missouri, with desks made from discarded wooden
doors. It also used a variety of recycled-content and envi-
ronmentally sensitive products throughout its offices.
•* For a comprehensive definition of green building products, see
the Environmental Building News article, "Building Materials:
What Makes a Product Green?" at
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11
WasteWise Update
The Wider World of Green Buildings
Green buildings and the suppliers, researchers, media outlets, associations, and programs that support
and promote them are springing up across the country and around the world. Most of these programs
take a holistic approach, treating a building as one unit with many diverse environmental impacts.
Following are some of the issues beyond materials and waste that help define the up-and-coming
field of sustainable building:
• Energy Efficiency: The energy your building uses can be a significant drain on both the envi-
ronment and your budget. Therefore, energy efficiency is an essential part of sustainable
building. EPA's Energy Star for Buildings program offers a comprehensive five-step program
to reduce energy consumption in your building. The elements of this program include
replacing your lighting and other appliances with more energy-efficient models, improv-
ing maintenance and operations procedures, and upgrading heating, ventilation, and
cooling systems. Energy Star for Buildings also provides an online benchmarking tool
that allows your organization to measure its building energy usage and compare the
performance of your building against the average for your building type. If your
building scores in the top 25 percent of energy performance, and you meet other
requirements (including good indoor air quality), you can qualify to advertise your
high-performance building with an Energy Star for Buildings label. See for more information.
• Renewable Energy: Once you've reduced your building's energy needs, you might
want to consider supplying those needs with energy sources that renew themselves nat-
urally. These sources include solar, geothermal, wind, biomass, hydrogen, and other
power sources. The U.S. Department of Energy has information about using renewable
energy technologies at .
• Water: EPA's water efficiency partnership program, known as WAVE (Water Alliances for
Voluntary Efficiency), helps organizations identify and implement water conservation activi-
ties. WAVE partners sign an agreement to survey water-using equipment and, where prof-
itable, install water-efficient upgrades within a prearranged time frame. Partners also agree
to consider using water-efficient equipment in the design of all new facilities. Although WAVE
once focused exclusively on the lodging industry, it is now open to organizations with office
buildings and educational institutions as well. See for
more information.
• Indoor Air Quality: Whereas other aspects of sustainable building focus on effects on the out-
door environment, buildings create their own indoor environments as well. This is important for
organizations to remember because indoor environmental quality can affect the health of those who
occupy buildings, impact worker productivity, and even be a source of liability for organizations that
do not monitor this issue. EPA's Indoor Environments Program has information about how to improve
indoor air quality in building types, including office buildings and schools, at .
McDonald's used numerous recycled construction prod-
ucts in a Kent, Washington, restaurant, including table-
tops, cabinets, and trash receptacles made of recycled
particleboard, ceiling tiles containing recycled paper, and
menuboards containing recycled plastic and aluminum.
Metro, a regional government covering three counties in
the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area, located its new
headquarters in a 71-year-old building, which it remod-
eled with components such as 100 percent recycled paint
and recycled rubber floor tiles. The agency also salvaged
159 tons of hardwood flooring, carpeting, doors, and fix-
tures for reuse.
Waste Management built its Government Affairs Office
in Washington, DC, with approximately 85 percent
reused or recycled materials, including ceiling tiles con-
taining steel slag and newsprint; countertops manufac-
tured from recycled cardboard, newsprint, woodwaste,
and recycled steel studs; and furniture containing recycled
wood from old movie sets.
Types of Materials Available
The Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG)
Program is part of EPA's ongoing effort to promote the use
of materials recovered from the solid waste stream. The pro-
gram offers purchasing guidelines to federal agencies and
their contractors by recommending recycled-content materi-
als. Many non-federal organizations also use the CPG to
develop their own recycled-product purchasing programs.
The CPG Program recommends high-performance con-
struction products, including:
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Waste Wise Update
In the fall of 1999, King County's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) moved into the King Street Center Building, a fa
designed to be a model of environmental integrity and sustainability. Located in a historic district in downtown Seattle, the E
story office building encompasses 327,000 square feet.
The building employs a water reclamation system that collects rainwater from the roof, filters the water, and uses it in the bi
ing's toilets. The building's water reclamation system also contributes to its sustainability, supplying 64 percent of the annuo
"flushing budget" and greatly reducing DNR's water costs, particularly during droughts. The system offers environmental be
fits as well—each year, the system reclaims 1 .4 million gallons of rainwater that would otherwise drain directly to Puget Sou
Additional features of the King Street Center include recycled-content cement, ceiling tiles, bathroom stall partitions, and pc
Furthermore, the county reused latex paint collected as part of a residential program and installed refurbished carpet squar
designed to be replaced individually instead of traditional wall-to-wall carpet.
You can learn more about King County's experiences and sample contract language for green construction and renovation
efforts online at .
Green Building Materia
New Headquarters
When Louisiana-Pacific (LP) moved its headquarters to
accommodate a need for more space, it made every ef
to create an environmentally sustainable office. Workim
closely with its architect to ensure this goal was met, LP
required each contractor and supplier to submit informi
tion on the environmental aspects of its operations. As a
result, the company's new offices reflect an environmental
commitment and vision for sustainability. Green building
features of LP's new office include:
* Recycled wood flooring, used in the reception areas
and elevator landings, manufactured from trim piece:
of laminated veneer lumber from LP's Mines, Oregon
facility.
• High-performance, bio-composite tile, placed in the
employee lunchroom, manufactured using an energy-
efficient process that is free of volatile organic compounc
• Cabinets, located in the copy and coffee rooms, mad
from medium-density fiberboard, a product manufac-
tured from sawdust and fines.
• Office furniture containing recycled-content steel, susta
ably harvested wood, and non-hazardous materials.
• Energy-efficient timing devices that shut off office ligl
after 30 minutes of inactivity.
Hugh Donnelly, LP's corporate facilities manager, notec
that "it wasn't hard to find suppliers who were eager to
talk about the green aspects of their business. What's
more, LP's move to the Fox Tower was completed on tim
and under budget."
• Building insulation. Recycled-content building insulation
is available in standard forms (rolls, loose fill, and spray
foam) and contains a range of recovered materials, includ-
ing glass cullet, plastics, paper fiber, and blast furnace slag.
• Carpet. Your organization can use recycled fiber polyester
or nylon carpet. Environmentally responsible carpet is
also available with recycled-content backing.
• Cement and concrete. These materials can be made using
fly ash recovered from coal-burning power plants and
ground blast furnace slag recovered from iron production.
• Consolidated and reprocessed latex paint. Consolidated
paint, produced by mixing different types of collected
postconsumer paint, is only recommended for outdoor
applications. Reprocessed paint is sorted according to
color, finish, and type during collection and can be used
outdoors or indoors.
• Floor tiles. Recycled-content floor tiles and patio blocks
can contain high percentages of plastic or rubber salvaged
from truck and airplane tires.
• Shower and restroom dividers/partitions. These dividers
can contain between 20 and 100 percent recycled-content
plastic or steel.
• Laminated paperboard and structural fiberboard.
Paperboard contains kraft paper and can be ideal for
indoor decorative applications such as millwork and fur-
niture components. Fiberboard is manufactured using
recycled wood, cane, or paper and can be used as struc-
tural material, insulation, or acoustical tile.
For more detailed information about CPG guidelines for
construction and other products, visit .
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13
WasteWise Update
e s o
r c e s
for C&D and Green Building
EPA
Resources —
Waste &
Materials
EPA Construction &
Demolition Debris Web site
This brand-new Web site brings together
information from EPA and other sources on
C&D debris prevention, reuse, recycling,
and management, including numerous
documents and links. A companion site on
the broader issues of green building will
be accessible through this site.
T
Characterization of Building-
Related Construction and
Demolition Debris in the U.S.
EPA530-R-98-010.
June 1998.
This report characterizes the quantity and
composition of building-related C&D
debris generated in the United States and
summarizes management practices for this
waste stream. It focuses on construction,
demolition, and renovation of residential
and nonresidential buildings.
T
Building Savings: Strategies
for Waste Reduction of
Construction and Demolition
Debris from Buildings.
EPA530-F-00-001. June 2000.
This series of case studies on construction
materials diversion provides valuable tips
on C&D reuse and recycling. The case
studies, covering projects ranging from an
apartment complex to a grocery store, pro-
vide details on implementation costs, cost
savings, and tips for replication.
EPA's Comprehensive
Procurement Guidelines (CPG)
CPG provides a wealth of information
about buying recycled-content products.
Ranging from construction to landscaping
products, CPG offers recommended recy-
cled-content levels as well as contact
information for manufacturers and sup-
pliers of recycled-content products and
materials.
EPA's Environmentally
Preferable Purchasing (EPP)
Program
< www.epa.gov/oppt/epp>
This Web site features a searchable data-
base containing contract language and
voluntary standards for more than 600
products and service categories—many of
which relate to construction. Numerous
case studies highlighting green construc-
tion successes, such as EPA's Region 10
remodeling effort and the Fort Worth Post
Office, are also provided.
T
EPA's Jobs Through Recycling
Program — Construction
Materials Commodity Page
< www.epa.gov/jtr/comm/construc.htm>
This Web site profiles construction materi-
als reuse and recycling, and provides links
to various reports, organizations, and list
server postings covering everything from
asphalt to particle board.
T
2000 Buy-Recycled Series:
Construction Products.
EPA530-F-00-009. June 2000.
This fact sheet lists EPA's recommended
postconsumer recycled-content percent-
ages of various construction products.
Geared toward federal facilities and con-
tractors seeking assistance in complying
with EPA's Comprehensive Procurement
Guidelines, the information provided is
also applicable to a wide audience. The
fact sheet includes short case studies on
local, state, and federal government con-
struction projects.
EPA
Resources
—Other
Green
Building
Issues
ENERGY STAR®
ENERGY STAR, a collaborative effort between
U.S. EPA and the U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE), encourages businesses and
consumers to make energy-conscious deci-
sions through the purchase of energy-effi-
cient products. ENERGY STAR also qualifies
homes and buildings as energy-efficient.
T
EPA's Indoor Environments
Division
This Web site highlights information on
issues related to indoor air quality. Topics
discussed include asthma, radon, and
mold. The site also provides indoor air
quality information that is specific to
homes, schools, and buildings.
T
Water Alliances for Voluntary
Efficiency (WAVE)
< www.epa.gov/owm/faqw.htm>
This Web site provides information about
WAVE, a voluntary partnership program
that encourages commercial businesses
and institutions to practice water efficiency.
Upon joining the program, members
receive free technical support and access
to water-use analysis software.
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Waste Wise Update
14
Other
Publications
A Guide to Deconstruction.
U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development.
February 2000.
This guide reviews the components and
benefits of deconstruction and links it to
community revitalization efforts. The guide
provides 1 0 detailed case studies of
deconstruction materials reuse and recy-
cling efforts throughout the country.
T
National Recycling Coalition's
Buy Recycled Business
Alliance Case Studies
< http://brba.nrc-recycle.org/
casestudies.htm >
These case studies feature leading U.S.
companies that used recycled-content
materials and products for building con-
struction and interior design.
Designing With Vision:
A Technical Manual for
Material Choices In
Sustainable Construction.
California Integrated Waste
Management Board.
July 2000.
< www.ciwmb.ca.gov/GreenBuilding >
This manual highlights sustainable waste
management principles for planning,
design, and construction of large-scale
projects. It includes information on choos-
ing, locating, and purchasing recycled-
content building products; provides sample
contract language and recycled-content
building product specifications; and identi-
fies strategies for reusing and reducing
construction materials and managing job-
site waste.
Sustainable Architecture
Compendium. National
Pollution Prevention Center
for Higher Education,
University of Michigan.
August 1998.
Part of the Pollution Prevention in
Architecture Series, this instructive group of
reports features recycling and reuse
"modules" on topics such as C&D recy-
cling, adaptive reuse, and design for mate-
rials recovery.
^
'eriodicals
C&D Recycler. Recyclingtoday
Media Group.
< www.recyclingtoday.com/magazine>
This bimonthly journal includes feature sto-
ries; industry, product, and equipment
news; and editorials on the construction
and demolition recycling industry. Articles
from the current issue are available online.
T
Environmental Building News
< http://buildinggreen.com>
This leading newsletter on environmentally
responsible construction features compre-
hensive, practical information on topics
from energy efficiency and recycled-con-
tent materials to land-use planning and
indoor air quality. It also includes industry
news, product reviews, and case studies.
Some articles and article summaries are
available online.
Environmental Design +
Construction. Business News
Publishing II LLC.
This bimonthly journal covers all aspects of
environmentally sound building design and
construction, including recycled building
products and systems of waste disposal
and reuse. The Web site includes a search-
able online buyers' directory that lists com-
panies offering environmentally preferable
products and services.
King County, Washington:
Map of Recycled Content
Buildings
< http://dnr.metrokc.gov/market/
encompass>
This site allows visitors to take a virtual tour
of sustainable buildings located in the
Pacific Northwest. A list of recycled-content
materials used in various buildings is also
provided.
T
California Integrated Waste
Management Board (CIWMB)
< www.ciwmb.ca.gov/condemo >
CIWMB's construction and demolition recy-
cling Web site is an excellent resource,
providing commodity profiles, online
reports, case studies, and sample C&D
recycling ordinances for local govern-
ments.
T
Institute for Local Self
Reliance's (ILSR's) Building
Deconstruction Page
Part of ILSR's Waste to Wealth waste reduc-
tion and recycling-based economic devel-
opment program, the building
deconstruction page highlights some of the
organization's projects and publications.
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15
WasteWise Update
Sustainable Building Sources
This site features a Green Building
Professionals Directory, Sustainable
Building Events, and a Sustainable Building
Sourcebook that provides information on
building materials as well as water and
energy efficiency technologies.
T
Minnesota Sustainable Design
Guide
This online guide serves as a design tool
that can be used to address environmental
issues during the design, construction, and
operation of new and remodeled facilities.
O r g a nizations
Associated General
Contractors (AGC)
< www.agc.org/EnvironmentaHnfo/
Recycle_This.asp >
AGC is the largest construction trade asso-
ciation in the country. Their Web site
includes fact sheets and a brochure on
C&D debris recycling.
T
Center for Resourceful
Building Technologies (CRBT)
A project of the National Center for
Appropriate Technology, CRBT promotes
environmentally responsible practices in
construction. CRBT conducts research and
provides education on practicing resource
efficiency in building design, materials
selection, and construction practices.
Construction Materials
Recycling Association (CMRA)
This organization supports the needs of the
rapidly expanding North American con-
struction waste and demolition debris pro-
cessing and recycling industry.
T
U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC)
The flagship organization for green build-
ings, the USGBC rates green buildings
through its Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design program. Its more
than 500 members include architects, con-
tractors, governments, nonprofit organiza-
tions, product manufacturers, and
companies.
T
University of Florida Center
for Construction and
Environment
One of the few academic centers of its
kind in the country, the Center for
Construction and Environment conducts
research and undertakes projects to mini-
mize environmental impacts from building
construction and demolition. The Web site
includes case studies on past and current
deconstruction projects.
T
Used Building Materials
Association (UBMA)
< www.ubma.com>
This nonprofit, membership-based organi-
zation represents companies and organiza-
tions involved in the acquisition and/or
redistribution of used building materials. Its
Web site features the Used Building
Materials Exchange.
Green Building Codes,
Specifications, and
Guidelines
WasteSpec. Model
Specifications for Construction
Waste Reduction, Reuse, and
Recycling. Triangle J Council
of Governments. July 1995.
< www.tjcog.dst.nc.us/cdwaste.htm>
This 1 14-page manual provides architects
and engineers with model specifications
and background information on waste
reduction, reuse, and recycling before and
during construction and demolition.
T
Navy Family Housing Project
Standards
This document outlines the standards and
criteria for designing, renovating, and con-
structing Navy family housing and associ-
ated facilities. Green building topics
include energy efficiency and sustainable
development.
T
Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED)
LEED—a system designed for rating new
and existing commercial, institutional, and
high-rise residential buildings—offers an
abundance of resources pertaining to
green buildings. This site provides an
overview of the LEED rating system, links to
resources, and a list of LEED-certified and
LEED-registered projects.
T
Governor's Green
Government Council (GGGC)
< www.gggc.state.pa.us >
The state of Pennsylvania's GGGC pro-
vides guidelines for creating high-perfor-
mance green buildings. The council also
offers information on Model Green Office
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Waste Wise Update
16
Leasing Specifications and renovating and
retrofitting existing structures.
New York City Department of
Design and Construction
New York City's High Performance Building
Guidelines encompass a wide array of
green building topics ranging from design
process and site planning to building ener-
gy use and material and product selection.
Recycled/Green
Building Product
Direct 01
The Harris Directory
This computer database for Windows lists
construction products made with recovered
materials in a Construction Specifications
Institute format. Contact Ms. BJ. Harris
RO. Box 311 33 Santa Fe, NM 87594 USA
505/983-2962; e-mail:
T
Oikos Green Product Gallery
This online gallery provides information on
a variety of green building products such
as flooring, natural oil-based finishes, non-
ozone-depleting insulation foam, and
structural components.
T
GreenOrder
< http://greenorder.com>
This online catalog offers information on
construction products, including concrete,
thermal and moisture protection products,
furnishing, and equipment.
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Agency
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www.epa.gov/wastewise
February 2002
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