South Bend, Indiana
Value-added
Deconstruction in South Bend, IN
Generates a $ 1.4 Million
Revenue Stream
Former Studebaker Plant 8 site, before (left) and after redevelopment
A Construction and Demolition (C&D)
Waste Reduction Success Story
Sustainable reuse of brownfields properties includes efforts to reduce the environmental impact by reusing and recycling materials generated
during building construction, demolition or renovation. Recycling of C&D materials can prevent loss of useful property, wasted materials, and
embodied energy. It also helps to conserve raw materials through the use of existing materials, conserves energy and water, and reduces the
production of greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants. Additionally, C&D recycling can reduce overall project costs through the sale of
building materials for recycling or reuse, and through avoided disposal and transportation costs. Furthermore, by providing materials to local
vendors and processors, C&D recycling can create employment and economic activity that helps sustain local economies.
Project Highlights
Redevelopment of the former 34-acre Studebaker
Plant 8 in South Bend, Indiana, offers an excellent
example of construction and demolition (C&D)
recycling and reuse. An estimated 99 percent
of the site's 665,000 square-foot building was
deconstructed for reuse, generating $1.4 million that
went toward the property's assessment, cleanup and
redevelopment. A variety of the materials recovered
during deconstruction were reused to construct the
new Green Tech Recycling facility, the only large-
scale recycling and transfer facility of its kind in
Indiana. Other materials were sold through local,
regional and national markets—including iron and
steel shipped to steel mills in South Bend; brick for
historical preservation projects; or donated locally
including fencing used at a nearby baseball field;
and wood mulched for landscaping projects. On
Earth Day 2008, Green Tech opened its doors for
business on the former Studebaker plant site—
offering new, local recycling options for metal,
brick, concrete, asphalt, computers, plastic, and
other C&D materials that is creating green jobs and
other economic opportunities to help sustain the
"Green Tech Transfer
and Recycling, LLC deserves this award
for creating and implementing an innovative project
that can be admired by the entire community,"
said Thomas Easterly, commissioner of Indiana's
Department of Environmental Management.
"The company's contribution toward protecting
Indiana's environment is a standard that
we should all strive to follow."
South Bend economy. In October 2008, this project
received the Indiana Governor's Environmental
Excellence Award recognized for its achievements
in the Recycling and Reuse category.
Deconstruction - the selective dismantling or removal
of materials from buildings before or instead of some
elements of demolition.
Value-added Deconstruction - diverting valuable
resources from crowded landfills into profitable uses,
which in turn would enable deconstruction to pay for
itself by generating revenues and reducing landfill and
disposal costs.
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Background
The 34-acre Studebaker Plant 8 site in South Bend,
Indiana, was part of the original Studebaker vehicle
plant, founded in 1852 and used to manufacture
automobiles until 1963. The property was used
primarily for storage, but sat vacant from 1993
until 2005. In 2005, Mother Earth, LLC identified
the site as a possible location for their proposed
multi-million dollar recycling and transfer facility,
but suspected environmental contamination and
the unusable condition of two large industrial-size
buildings remained as barriers to reuse.
Mother Earth decided to proceed and acquired the
property in 2005. Funding from multiple public and
private sources was used to identify and address the
site's environmental contamination; which included
the cleanup of lead-contaminated soil, and the
removal and safe disposal of asbestos-contaminated
paneling from the 665,000 square-foot building.
Process
Prior to actual deconstruction, a thorough audit
of building materials was conducted, markets
for harvested materials were identified, and an
experienced deconstruction crew was retained.
Upon completion of the upfront planning, the
deconstruction crew harvested, sorted, and prepared
building materials for recycling and reuse on site.
By electing to deconstruct, rather than demolish,
the site's 665,000 square-foot building, Mother
Earth recovered valuable building materials for
recycling and reuse. Belinda and Mike Morris, co-
owners of Mother Earth, LLC commented, "We felt
that the project was about as 'green' as it gets—it
was important to recycle as much as possible. We
challenged ourselves to be as environmentally
responsible as we could. Soon everyone was on
board researching what could be done with as many
materials as possible and to develop new uses for
old products, instead of the traditional landfilling."
Materials recovered from the former
Studebaker Plant 8 property
• 15,000 tons of concrete and bricks -
reused on site for infill projects, sold for reuse.
• 2000 tons of iron, steel and other metals -
shipped to local steel mills.
• 5,000 cubic yards of wood - mulched and donated for
nearby landscaping and sold for reuse.
• 15 drums of bulbs including Fluorescent lights and
ballasts - removed and packaged for bulb recycling.
• 80 tons of Pea gravel - removed from the roof and used
around drainage pipes.
• Signage - reused for a nearby baseball field.
• Gate - reused for a nearby baseball field
handicap parking.
Project Funding
• Mother Earth, LLC - $4 million for cleanup,
deconstruction and redevelopment.
• Indiana Brownfields Program - $45,123 for
environmental assessment and cleanup.
• EPA Brownfields Assessment grant funding from
South Bend, Indiana - $71,693.
• Material recycling revenue through
deconstruction - $1.4 million
(minus $500,000 in deconstruction costs).
South Bend, Indiana
Using Deconstruction to Create a Value-Added
Revenue Stream (C&D Recycling)
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (510
EPA-560-F-09-001
January 2009
pa.gov/brownfields
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Results
An estimated 99 percent of the material from the
665,000 square-foot building was recovered and
converted to profitable reuses that helped to fund
the project, and kept valuable building material
out of the landfill. The site's remaining, 85,000
square foot building is being reused for Green Tech
offices, a maintenance garage, and a future green
industry incubator. Green building materials in
the form of recycled plastic were used as decking,
signs, and simulated wood flooring. Additional
green technology for the building and property
include: low volatile emission interior paint, tinted
windows for energy reduction, skylights and high
efficiency lighting to reduce energy consumption,
and an electric car for site tours. Phase I of the
two-phase $3.5 million dollar project, the Green
Tech Recycling facility, was completed and open
for business on Earth Day 2008. Currently, Green
Tech has a staff of eight with plans to expand to 24
employees when the facility is fully operational.
Phase II of the project is scheduled to open in
Spring 2009 and includes a green technology
incubator, a natural area with trails and wildlife
feeding stations, and an environmental education
center to instill the importance of protecting the
environment in the community's youth.
Green Tech Recycling is also helping other cities to
develop revenue-based, brownfields deconstruction
projects, to reduce overall project costs and keep
valuable materials out of the nation's landfills.
More information on Construction and Demolition
materials and brownfields can be obtained at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/tools/tti_assess_
cleanup .htm#construction or by contacting the
EPA Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization
(OBLR) at (202) 566-2777.
Tips for Value-added Deconstruct/on at your
Brownfields Project
• Hire an experienced consultant to oversee your
project; a qualified consultant can save a community
valuable time and money.
• Ensure Requests for Proposals (RFPs) specify
deconstruction rather than demolition, and include
provisions for recycling and "rebates" for reusable
materials.
• Hire an experienced deconstruction company—
preferably a local one to support the local economy.
• Conduct an audit of building materials and attach
a value to each material.Track audited materials to
ensure that all materials are accounted for and that
proper value is received.
Construct/on and Demolition Debris
Construction and demolition (C&D) debris is produced during
new construction, renovation, and demolition of buildings and
structures. C&D debris includes bricks, concrete, masonry, soil,
rocks, lumber, paving materials, shingles, glass, plastics, aluminum
(including siding), steel, drywall, insulation, asphalt roofing
materials, electrical materials, plumbing fixtures, vinyl siding,
corrugated cardboard, and tree stumps.
C&D materials can be recovered through reuse and recycling.
In order for materials to be reusable, contractors generally must
remove them intact (e.g., windows and frames, plumbing fixtures,
floor and ceiling tiles) or in large pieces (e.g., drywall, lumber).
In order to be recyclable, materials must be separated from
contaminants (e.g., trash, nails, and broken glass).
The EPA Brownfields Program provides grants to fund environmental assessment, cleanup, and job training activities. The Program is
designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner
to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields.
South Bend, Indiana
Using Deconstruction to Create a Value-Added
Revenue Stream (C&D Recycling)
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (510
EPA-560-F-09-001
January 2009
pa.gov/brownfields
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