C & D Materials Management & Markets in the Northeast

Co-sponsored by: The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) and NEWMOA

A recording of this webinar is available online.

C&D materials are generated in new construction, remodeling, deconstruction and demolition. Common components of new construction in the U.S. include: wood; concrete/masonry; wallboard; metal; corrugated cardboard; bottles and cans; and trash. Demolition debris includes: concrete; wood; trash; scrap iron; asphalt; brick; and roofing. There is an increased emphasis on the processing and reuse of C&D materials. Many of these materials can be recycled and made into new products — clean, untreated wood can be made into new wood products (i.e., furniture, and wood chips and mulch for landscaping purposes); gypsum wallboard can be ground into a gypsum powder that is then manufactured into new plasterboard or applied as a soil amendment; and asphalt shingles can be recycled into cold patch, new shingles, or hot mix asphalt.

This joint NEWMOA and NERC webinar included presentations on:

• The results of NEWMOA’s analysis of data collected by the environmental agencies in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont on architectural C & D materials generation and processing. (download slides)
• The results of a Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) funded study that evaluated the current and future status of construction and demolition (C&D) debris management in Massachusetts, and identified and recommend potential opportunities for the diversion of a greater proportion of recyclable materials to recycling markets. NERC administered and contracted with DSM Environmental Services (DSM) to conduct the project. MassDEP has established a goal of diverting 50 percent of C&D materials from disposal, but in recent years the actual diversion rate has plateaued at around 30 percent. The primary objective of the analysis undertaken by DSM was to first assess incoming and outgoing materials at Massachusetts C&D processors and handling facilities, and to determine what the opportunities and constraints are to increase materials diversion beyond 30 percent. (download slides)

Presenters included:

• Jennifer Griffith, NEWMOA
• Ted Siegler, DSM Environmental
• Natalie Star, DSM Environmental