CONSTRUCTION AND
DEMOLITION WASTE
ASPEN CITY COUNCIL
AUGUST 15, 2016
PRESENTED BY:
LIZ O’CONNELL - ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY
AGENDA
• Construction and Demolition waste
• Amounts
• Types
• Current diversion
• Municipalities with high C&D diversion
• Challenges
• Phase II of Waste Reduction Study
OVERALL COUNTY SOLID WASTE STREAM
Non-Municipal Solid Waste:
• Consists primarily of construction &
demolition debris
MSW
Non-MSW
approx 20%
approx 80%
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW):
Based on 2014 & 2015 Pitkin County Scale Data
• Consists of residential, commercial &
institutional waste
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NON-MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE AT PITKIN COUNTY LANDFILL
C&D waste
2015 Totals
5%
Diverted (47%)
71,700 tons
Alternative Daily Cover (48%)
31,400 tons
Landfilled (5%)
8,400 tons
47%
48%
Diverted
ADC
Landfilled
CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION (C&D) WASTE HAS INCREASED
MAJOR CATEGORIES OF CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE
• Currently diverted
• Rock/Concrete/Soil
(Aggregate)
• Metal
• Currently Buried
• Drywall
• Plastic & Carpet
• Some diverted, some buried
• Wood
• Fixtures
AGGREGATE (2015 TOTALS)
• Crushable rock
• 42,356 tons received/diverted
• Concrete
• 2,066 tons received/diverted
• Screenable dirt
• 21,699 tons received/diverted
Challenges:
• Supply exceeds demand
• Contractor hired to crush rock
METAL
• Metals have value
• Landfill accepts scrap for free
• Copper is sold directly from
site
Challenge:
• Mixed loads contain metals
DRYWALL – NOT DIVERTED
• Lightweight but high volume
• Recyclable, but not worth it
• Mostly mixed with other materials
• Air quality concerns when ground
• Local virgin supply
• Compostable under the right
circumstances
PLASTIC AND CARPETING – NOT DIVERTED
• Plastic sheeting is not recyclable
• Plastic sheeting and bags are
important tools in construction and
demolition
• Plastic is brought in mixed loads
• Carpet is not recyclable
• Carpet is brought in mixed loads
• Carpeting includes the padding
WOOD – PARTIALLY DIVERTED
• Untreated wood can be chipped
• Treated wood can be reused
Challenges:
• Supply exceeds demand
• Mixed with other materials
FIXTURES –PARTIALLY DIVERTED
Reuse Options (Free)
• Drop and Swap
• Habitat for Humanity
• Give-away/sell
Challenges
• Supply exceeds demand
• Damaged in mixed loads
• No local processing facility to recycle
BENEFITS OF REDUCING CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE IN ASPEN
• Environmental benefits
• GHG reduction
• Resource conservation
• Economic benefits
• Jobs created
• Keeps disposal affordable
• Resiliency
• Local Material supply
• Local landfill
City of Aspen -Sustainability Dashboard
Sustainability
initiative
Yes
Outcome area
affected:
Air, Waste
Key metric affected:
Air- Levels of particulate matter; Waste – Waste diversion
rate; Amount of landfill space available; Number of miles
waste travels for processing
MUNICIPALITIES WITH HIGH C&D DIVERSION PROGRAMS
Chicago, IL
Plano, TX
San Jose, CA
• Requirements
• Deposits
• Fines
• All projects
• Full time C&D staff
• 90% diversion
• Requirements
• Deposits
• Fines
• Most projects
• Part time C&D staff
• 75 % diversion
• Requirements
• Deposits/Fees
• No CO
• All projects
• Full time C&D staff
• 79% diversion
Aspen Challenges:
Low density population
CHALLENGES FOR ASPEN
Far from markets
Low demand for used materials
Low landfill fees nearby
No State mandate for diversion
Construction mitigation goals
CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION GOALS
• Limited space for waste separation
• More containers needed to keep materials separate and intact
• Encroaches on the roadway and parking
• Traffic impacts
• Waste containers can impede traffic flow
• More trucks/trips needed to move separated loads
• Increased time for project completion
• Deconstruction takes longer than demolition
• Separating materials takes longer than combining materials
PHASE II - NEXT STEPS
• Report findings
• Establish diversion goals
• Options that will increase diversion will estimate:
• Tons diverted
• GHGs reduced
• Jobs created
• Costs, cost savings, revenue potential
• Enforcement and staffing needs
• Public partnerships
• Develop best strategy for achieving diversion goals
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SUMMARY
• Reducing Construction and Demolition waste
is important and worth addressing
• Achieving reduction is complex and will
require careful evaluation
House made from 25,000 glass bottles Prince Edward Island, Canada
• Phase II will provide us with more information
to start evaluating options
Questions?
Thank you!