Debris Management Regulations
To encourage recycling and reuse, regulations divide the waste stream into four categories: construction or demolition wastes, land-clearing wastes, inert wastes and yard trash. The N.C. Division of Waste Management recommends the following methods for handling these materials:
- Construction and demolition debris should be separated into recyclable and nonrecyclable materials.
- Inert debris (defined by the state as concrete, brick, concrete block, uncontaminated soil, rock and gravel) should be recycled and reused as clean fill material.
- Yard trash and land-clearing debris should be reduced, reused or recycled as mulch or compost. (Yard trash was banned from municipal solid waste landfills as of Jan. 1, 1993.)
Recycled building products are cost-effective, reliable and easy to obtain, helping to finish the job on time and under budget. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a set of guidelines called the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) that is updated annually. Through CPG, the EPA designates items that must contain recycled content when purchased by federal, state and local agencies or by government contractors using appropriated federal funds. EPA research shows that items in the CPG are of high quality, widely available, and cost-competitive with virgin products.
If a federal agency spends more than $10,000 per year on a product designated in the CPG, that agency is required to purchase it with the highest recycled content level practicable. The CPG also applies to lease contracts covering designated items.
Incentives to recycling:
- May reduce amount of construction debris disposed of in landfills
- May reduce the rate of natural resource depletion and environmental disturbance
- Has a potential to provide energy and cost savings
- Job site recycling is common for larger construction projects as a means of avoiding high transportation, disposal and new material costs
Deterrents to recycling:
- Improper site design and layout; equipment and operator efficiency
- Lack of creative marketing
- Supply shortage of consistent feed material
- High capital requirements
- Inadequate public support
- Quality problems or perceptions
