Resources for Construction and

Demolition Waste Management

Construction and
Demolition Waste
City of Springfield
Solid Waste Management – 417-864-1905
Management
Recycling Hotline - 417-864-1904

Web site: www.springfieldmo.gov/recycling

Building Development Services – 417-864-1901

Greene County
Building Regulations Section
417-868-4015

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Southwest Regional Office
417-891-4300
Web site: www.dnr.mo.gov

Presented by the
City of Springfield, Missouri
Waste Management During Construction Preparation and Planning for Disposal
 Estimate the types and quantities of waste the project will generate and determine a
The most important factor in minimizing waste is careful planning. According to NAHB,
schedule of when the wastes will be developed.
the typical builder pays $511 per house for construction waste disposal. During all phases
 Work with all suppliers to reduce waste on a project by asking them to buy back unused
of construction there are
product.
ways to reduce wastes.
 Ask suppliers to deliver supplies
using sturdy, returnable pallets
Prevention During
and containers. Then have the
Design
suppliers pick up the empty
 Optimize building containers when delivering
dimensions to new building materials.
correspond to  Develop a list of suppliers and
standard lumber recycling contacts for easy
dimensions to reduce reference and use in future
the amount of scrap projects.
materials
 Keep in mind that
stick framing yields
more than three
times the amount of
Deconstruction
lumber and panel When remodeling, the amount of waste created can be decreased by a very significant
scrap than amount by disassembling rather than
component framing demolishing, an activity that unfortunately is
 Develop framing sometimes synonymous with “gutting” a house.
layouts to avoid Materials that are removed carefully enough
wastes and unneeded can be sold at auction, reused by the property
costs when ordering owner, or donated to a charitable organization.
lumber.
The following materials are accepted by the
 When remodeling,
Habitat for Humanity ReStore:
evaluate whether the used lumber is salvageable or not.
 Order drywall in optimal dimensions to minimize cut-off waste. Drywall is available in
different lengths, and designed dimensions should correspond to standard sizes.  Appliances  Hardware
 Bathroom fixtures  Light fixtures
Prevention During Purchase and Storage  Cabinets  Lumber
 Carpet  Paneling
 Avoid excessively packaged materials and supplies. Packaging should be adequate to  Ceiling Fans  Plumbing fixtures
prevent damage and waste.  Doors  Shelving
 Minimize waste of vinyl siding, flooring and countertop materials by ordering only the  Electrical fixtures  Sinks
quantity needed in building specific lengths.  Flooring  Windows
 Store lumber on level blocking and under cover to minimize warping, twisting and
waste.
 Set aside, in a marked and designated area, lumber and plywood cut-offs that can be Before this office building was demolished, nearly
used as fire blocking, spacers in header construction and in other ways. three tons in reusable and recyclable materials were
 Clean concrete chunks, old brick, broken blocks and other masonry rubble can be used removed in four days. The property owner’s tax-
as backfill along foundation walls. deductible donation benefited the Habitat for
 Install leftover insulation in interior wall cavities or on top of installed attic insulation if Humanity ReStore, providing materials like tin
siding, windows, paneling, and doors.
it cannot be used on another job.
Separation and Disposal of Waste Materials Landfill Disposal

There are many different types of waste that can result from construction or demolition Despite best efforts to reduce C&D waste and to recycle or reuse as much of the
projects. Get to know the various classifications along with their disposal options. material as possible, the remaining waste must be disposed of in an appropriate
manner. The Springfield Sanitary Landfill serves the Southwest Missouri region and
Rocks/Clean Fill offers convenient and affordable disposal of unsalvageable materials in an approved
and regulated facility. For more information contact the City of Springfield Solid
 Uncontaminated inert solid material—includes soil, rock, stone, dredged material, used
Waste Management Division.
asphalt, or concrete from construction or demolition activities. Large chunks of
concrete should be broken into smaller pieces.
 Clean fill must be uncontaminated by spill or release of non-biodegradable materials or
substances. If it is slightly contaminated, levels must be below allowed amounts.
 For current disposal options for clean fill, contact the City of Springfield, Solid Waste
Management Division at 417-864-1905.

Asbestos Containing Materials

During deconstruction of buildings that were built or remodeled prior to 1980, certain
asbestos containing materials (ACM) may be encountered. Examples of ACM are: sheet
Top Soil and tile flooring, mastics, roofing shingles, cement-board siding, wallboard (Transite),
ceiling tile and pipe installation. Due to concerns with handling and disposing of ACM,
 Topsoil is the uppermost layer of soil, usually the top six to eight inches— should be special precautions should be taken. If you encounter suspect ACM, a licensed asbestos
mostly free of any large debris and completely free of any toxic substances. inspector should be consulted for verification. For additional information on ACM,
 Top soil has value and can be usually sold, if not retained for use on-site. contact City of Springfield Solid Waste Management Division at 417-864-1905.

Vegetation
 It is important that waste containing trees, brush and similar materials are separated at
the construction site prior to disposal. Limbs over 6” in diameter and root balls are
accepted at the Springfield Sanitary Landfill; however, yard waste is not accepted at
Missouri landfills. Yard waste, when used in this manner, is defined as brush, leaves,
grass clippings, trimmings, etc. Limbs less than 6” in diameter are considered yard
waste. The City’s Yardwaste Recycling Center (YRC) accepts these items from
residents and businesses of Springfield and Greene County. For information, including
hours of operation and items accepted at each facility, contact the City’s Solid Waste
Management Division, the City’s Recycling Hotline, or their web site.
Recycling
Construction and demolition waste constitutes almost one quarter of the materials sent to
sanitary landfills—a large majority of which is recyclable. Cardboard, wood, and drywall
make up 75% of all job-site waste, though all can be recycled.
For current information and a listing of resources to recycle/reuse C&D materials, call the
City of Springfield’s Recycling Hotline at 417-864-1904 or visit their web site at
www.springfieldmo.gov/recycling.
Appliances
Used appliances can dramatically add to the waste output from job sites.
Area resources to recycle used appliances:
Habitat for Humanity ReStore – 2410 S. Scenic Ave. (417) 829-4001
Cardboard
Though the weight doesn’t always add up to much, the cardboard packaging disposed of
on the job site can inflate dumpster fees unnecessarily because of excess air—in addition
to overburdening landfills with a recyclable item. Aside from an on-site cardboard
recycling container, cardboard can be recycled at any of the following location:
Midwest Fibre Sales – 911 N. Farm Road 123 (417) 862-1976
Drywall
Clean waste gypsum board, after being ground, can be recycled into new drywall, used for
some types of animal bedding, or applied as a soil amendment.

 It can be cost-effective to cut and stack waste drywall into uninsulated wall cavities.
Care must be taken to place pieces securely to prevent rattling, to choose framing
cavities without wiring runs, and to use cavities in closets, basements, and garages in
which interference with subsequent additions or renovations is less likely.

Lumber
 Unused or scrap lumber is one of the most commonly thrown away items at
construction sites, though it’s easy to recycle, even if warped or water damaged.

Reuse
Several waste materials can be reused on-site. Individually, these materials do not fill
dumpsters but collectively they can turn one or two containers per job to two or three,
significantly increasing total disposal costs.
 Fiberglass and rigid insulation
 Slightly damaged finished products such as cabinets and doors
 Large pieces of clean carpet and vinyl flooring
 Insulation materials can be placed in attic space and larger rigid insulation scraps can be
used under concrete floors.
 Flooring sheet goods can be neatly rolled and stored for the homeowner.