Sustainable Demolition for the Construction Industry
At CheckSammy, we use a balanced approach for sustainable demolition. We look at the feasibility of material salvage and reuse in the circular economy, as ways to mitigate the cost and maximize landfill diversion metrics. We have extensive experience in terms of the likelihood of reuse of the various building elements versus the complexity of recovery and other impacts to the local community.
In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed voluntary guidelines for the sustainable management of CDW that encourage the use of recycled and recyclable materials, the reuse of construction and demolition waste, and the proper disposal of waste. No other company is capable as CheckSammy is when planning and executing sustainable demolition to maximize the percentage diverted away from landfill - it’s at the core of what we do.
In the US, more than 130 million tons of demolition waste is generated each year. Much of this material is made up of concrete, bricks, asphalt, glass, metals, plastics and wood. The building and construction industry is one of the largest waste generators in the world. It’s estimated that construction and demolition activities account for roughly 30% of the solid waste generated each year, according to the UN. In the US, this figure is even higher, with construction and demolition waste accounting for up to 50%.
