Demolition waste can be valuable and reused, but hazardous materials require special disposal. Governments regulate sorting and recycling, and valuable materials like brick and metal can be repurposed. Harmless debris can become dangerous in landfills. Special procedures and costs are associated with hazardous waste disposal.
Demolition waste is all the various debris created when a structure is destroyed. Many types of demolition waste are potentially valuable and can be collected for reuse or sale, while other debris needs to be hauled away for offsite disposal. Some debris created by the demolition of buildings can be hazardous, especially in older structures that contained asbestos and other hazardous materials. Other debris is harmless at first, but can break down into more dangerous components after being placed in a landfill. Both of these types of demolition waste typically require special disposal or abatement procedures that can add to the overall cost of a project.
Many governments have specific regulations regarding the sorting and recycling of demolition waste. These regulations often establish a percentage of debris that must be disposed of before the remainder can be transported to a landfill or other disposal site. A typical process involves sorting various debris into large roll-off containers which can then be hauled to a landfill or other facility for further processing. It is often in the interest of a construction or demolition company to sort out the debris, as valuable materials are often collected for re-use.
Materials like brick, concrete and wood can often be repurposed for new construction projects. Bricks can be reused or sold as landscaping materials, concrete is often broken down for use as aggregate, and wood that is in good condition can be reused. Particular types of wood, especially hardwoods and very old planks and planks, are often in high demand and may be offered for sale. Old hardwood planks are often repurposed as a flooring material, and old beams or planks can be used in new construction for a nice aesthetic effect.
Metal objects, such as rods and pipes, are also often valuable. The market for scrap metal fluctuates, although it is often economically feasible to recover scrap metal rather than landfill it. This debris is often cleaned, melted down, and then used to create new items.
Not all forms of demolition waste are useful and a large amount of debris is often hauled away for disposal in a landfill. Other materials can actually be hazardous, and government regulations often determine how to handle them. In some cases, an abatement process will be required prior to demolition, where materials such as asbestos are located and removed. Other debris, such as drywall, may be relatively harmless during the demolition process, but will tend to decompose into harmful chemicals once placed in a landfill. These types of demolition waste will often have special procedures and costs associated with its disposal.
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