C & D Recycling Basics 

Reduce, Reuse

• Ask yourself if you can reduce or prevent some of the anticipated waste from being generated.
• Only purchase what you will use. Efficient framing techniques can reduce the amount of wood scraps and save money.
• Save leftover material for later use if feasible.
• Consider reuse of the material.

How to recycle construction materials In order to recycle construction materials into new products, recyclable materials must be separate from other waste. Materials must either be sorted on-site or sorted off-site. To sort on-site, separate roll-off containers are used for each material. Using an off-site processing service allows the builder to co-mingle waste materials for sorting later by a permitted processor.

Containers should be labeled in English and Spanish.

When choosing your hauler:

• Be specific about your requirements for recycling selected materials and where the material is to be taken.
• Hauling fees are based on truck time, so distance to the disposal or recycling facility is key to the rate offered.
• Request detailed monthly reports or invoices with detail to allow you to determine your recycling totals as a percent of waste generated.

Uncontaminated loads of recyclables are critical to your success. It is important for you, the hauler and the recycling company to have the same understanding of what constitutes an "uncontaminated" load. Containers must be clearly marked. Many times, bilingual signage is needed.

Education of the crew members and subcontractors regarding expectations and contamination is critical. Even with proper education and cooperation, someone on the job site will need to take responsibility for regular inspection of the recycling containers and removal of contaminates if necessary. Many times this will be a crew member who has prior knowledge and interest in recycling.