Northeast Region Headquarters
Northeast Region Headquarters Construction Waste & Recycling
The design and construction of DNR's new Northeast Wisconsin headquarters building compliments the Department's Waste Management Program ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) Certification whose focal point is "Moving Toward Zero Waste." Minimizing and preventing waste, and minimizing the potential for environmental impacts of landfills are two of the primary goals of the EMS.
Construction Waste
In constructing its Northeast Regional Headquarters building, the Department set a strict goal of diverting a minimum of 75% of waste material, by weight, from landfilling through reuse, salvaging, or recycling when economically feasible. The Building Construction Specifications required the general contractor and sub contractors to significantly reduce the volume of landfill waste and simultaneously feed the local recycling business infrastructure. The Construction Manager was required to complete a Construction Waste Plan that was tailored to the specifics of the site, the building, and the local recycling opportunities. The table below highlights the high degree of C&D recycling achieved as a result of implementing the Construction Waste Plan. We surpassed our goal by 10% and a full 85% of construction waste was diverted from area landfills.
| Quantity (tons) | Material | End use |
|---|---|---|
| 196.6 | Concrete and masonry | Ground up for base course |
| 26.2 | Wood | Ground up for mulch |
| 4.6 | Cardboard | Recycled |
| 4.3 | Metal | Scrap metal |
| 5.6 | Drywall | Soil fertilizer |
| 42 | Waste | Landfilled |
| 237 tons deferred from area Landfills at a cost savings of $15/ton = a savings of $3555.00 Overall construction waste recycling rate: 85% | ||
Recycled Materials
Furthermore, a number of renewed or recycled materials are used in the new building:
- cubicle systems furniture is 100% renewed Steel Case furniture retrofitted by Recycled Office Environments of Stevens Point
- walls are insulated with shredded blue jeans
- cabinetry is made of Strawboard TM post-consumer wheat straw
- concrete contains a minimum of 20% incinerator ash
- sound proofing material made of recycled shredded paper is blown on ceilings of the main and lower level
- carpet squares contain 54% recycled materials
The new office location has recycling centers on each floor. Coffee grounds and other compostables are collected and will be composted for use on the garden areas on site.
Why does construction waste recycling matter?
Construction and demolition (C&D) waste activities generate massive quantities of solid waste in the US every year. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, it is estimated that 136 million tons of C & D debris (versus 209.7 million tons of municipal solid waste) was generated in 1996 - 57% of which was from commercial construction, renovation and demolition activities. This equates to approximately 2.8 pounds of commercial C & D waste per capita per day. The construction industry likely generates 20-26% of solid waste in the US, and in some parts of Wisconsin, it is estimated that C&D waste makes up 45% of all landfilled waste.
Commercial construction projects generate between 2 and 2.5 pounds of solid waste per square foot and the majority of this can potentially be recycled. Recycling opportunities for C&D wastes are expanding rapidly in many communities. By implementing a strict waste management plan, the Department has proven that C&D waste recycling and reuse can become standard operating practice at commercial construction projects.
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