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Waste reduction fast facts: Construction and demolition

Garbage and recycling  ›  Recycle at school  ›  Fast facts about waste reduction  ›  Construction and demolition

This resource is not exhaustive nor is it all-inclusive, but can be cited and dated from primary and secondary sources. To find out more about the methodology or accuracy, contact the referenced source.

Metro does not validate nor endorse any of these facts.

• In1998, the U.S. generated 136 million tons of waste from construction and demolition. Only 20 percent to 30 percent (mostly concrete, asphalt, metals and some wood) was recycled or reused. –EPA, “A Characterization of Building-Related Construction and Demolition Debris in the United States,” 1998
• The waste from building demolition removal constitutes nearly half of all building related construction and demolition debris. Renovation and remodeling projects are estimated to generate an additional 40 percent of the total debris, and new construction makes up the rest. –Environmental Protection Agency, “Analyzing What’s Recyclable in C&D Waste,” Ken Sandler, BioCycle, November 2003
  http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/debris-new/basic.htm
• Concrete and mixed rubble are estimated to make up 40-50 percent of the building-related construction and demolition debris generated annually, followed by wood at 20-30 percent, drywall at 5-15 percent, asphalt roofing at 1-10 percent, metals at 1-5 percent, bricks at 1-5 percent and plastics at 1-5 percent. –Environmental Protection Agency, “Analyzing What’s Recyclable in C&D Waste,” Ken Sandler, BioCycle, November 2003
  http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/debris-new/basic.htm
• More than 25 percent of Portland's landfill space is taken up by construction and demolition debris - half of which could have been reused or recycled. –City of Portland, Office of Sustainable Development
  http://www.green-rated.org/
• Annually, builders in the United States generate approximately 31.5 million tons of construction waste, almost 24 percent of the total municipal solid waste stream in this country. –National Association of Home Builders, “Building a Balance: Solid Waste Disposal Environmental Education Fact Sheet,” 2004
  http://www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?genericContentID=379
• In the Portland metro region, building materials (including wallboard, roofing, rubble, and fiberglass insulation) accounted for 10 percent of the total materials discarded in 2002. –Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon Solid Waste Characterization and Composition, 2002
• About 12 percent of the drywall used in new construction ends up as scrap. –California Integrated Waste Management Board, 2002
  www.ciwmb.ca.gov
• New homes and apartment units are being started at an annual rate of about 1.9 million. –National Association of Home Builders, 2005
  http://www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?genericContentID=43459
• The average size of new single-family homes increased from 1,500 in 1970 to more than 2,200 square feet in 2000, while the average household declined from 3.1 people per household in 1970 to 2.6 in 2002. –AmeriStat, (using US Census Bureau 2003 data)
  www.ameristat.org
• A new 5,000 square foot home consumes 3 times as much material as a 2,082 square foot home, even though its square footage is only 2.4 times as large. –City of Portland, Office of Sustainable Development
  http://www.green-rated.org/
• A typical 2,085-square foot, single-family house requires 13,127 board feet of lumber; 6,212 square feet of sheathing; 14 tons of concrete; 2,325 square feet of exterior siding; 3,100 square feet of roofing material; 3,061 square feet of insulation; 6,144 square feet of interior wall material; 120 linear feet of ducting; 15 windows; 13 kitchen cabinets and 2 other cabinets; 1 kitchen sink; 12 interior doors; 7 closet doors; 2 exterior doors; 1 patio door; 2 garage doors; 1 fireplace; 3 toilets; 2 bathtubs; 1 shower stall; 3 bathroom sinks; 2,085 square feet of flooring material . . . and 68 gallons of paint and coatings. –National Home Builders Association, 1998
  http://www.nhba.org/
• Total waste from an average 2,000-sq. ft. home adds up to about 8,000 pounds taking up 50 cubic yards of space. –National Association of Home Builders Research Center, 2001
  www.nahbrc.org
• Each year, 170,000 commercial buildings are constructed in the U.S., and 44,000 commercial buildings are demolished. –Environmental Protection Agency, “A Characterization of Building-Related Construction and Demolition Debris in the United States,” 1998
• Approximately 245,000 dwelling units and 45,000 non-residential units are demolished every year in the U.S., creating 74 million tons of debris. –National Association of Home Builders, “Deconstruction: Building Disassembly and Material Salvage,” 1998
• An initial upfront investment of $100,000 to incorporate green building features into a $5 million dollar project would result in savings of at least $1 million over the life of the building, assumed conservatively to be 20 years. –“The Cost and Financial Benefits of Green Buildings, A Report to California’s Sustainable Building Task Force,” Greg Kats, October 2003
  http://www.usgbc.org/docs/news/news477.pdf
• If 25 percent of the buildings demolished every year were deconstructed, approximately 20 million tons of debris could be diverted from landfills. –National Association of Home Builders, “Deconstruction: Building Disassembly and Material Salvage,” 1998

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