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Bettesworth Construction
C&D materials

Diverting Construction and Demolition Materials from Landfills

C&D landfill diversion begins with preventing waste, preserving structures, salvaging reusable components, and confirming local outlets for suitable materials.

By Bettesworth Construction Team 5 min read

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Diverting construction and demolition (C&D) materials from landfills starts before debris exists: prevent unnecessary material use, preserve what can stay in service, salvage usable components, then recycle what local facilities accept. The right route depends on material condition, available outlets, transport, and applicable local rules.

What does landfill diversion mean?

“Diversion” can describe several different outcomes, from avoiding material use in the first place to sending discarded material to a new market. These outcomes are not interchangeable. EPA’s C&D destination category “next use” includes aggregate, manufactured products, fuel, compost and mulch, and soil amendment; it does not mean every ton became a reused building product or was recycled in a closed loop. See EPA’s C&D material-specific data.

For project planning, use this order: prevent waste, preserve existing structures or components, salvage and reuse materials, and recycle suitable remaining debris. Landfill disposal is the last resort for material without a feasible, compliant alternative.

How much C&D debris is generated and where does it go?

EPA estimated that the United States generated 600.33 million tons of C&D debris in 2018—more than twice the quantity of municipal solid waste generated that year, according to EPA. Its destination table assigns 456.55 million tons to “next use” and 143.78 million tons to landfill. These are EPA estimates for 2018, not measurements for 2026; EPA’s methodology uses publicly available government and industry data and differs from its methodology for other waste estimates. C&D debris is outside EPA’s municipal solid waste category. EPA’s material-specific data explains the totals and destinations.

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The 2018 figures also show why demolition planning matters: demolition accounted for over 90% of C&D debris generation, while construction activity accounted for under 10%. Concrete was the largest material category, at 405.2 million tons, followed by asphalt concrete, at 107.0 million tons. These are EPA estimates for 2018, not current-year totals. EPA’s 2018 fact sheet provides the dated breakdown.

How to divert materials on a construction or demolition project

1. Prevent avoidable material use

Reduce waste at the design and purchasing stages. Coordinate quantities with the work, limit over-ordering, and consider how a building or component can adapt to future uses or be taken apart for recovery. EPA describes source reduction as its preferred approach: “Source reduction reduces life-cycle material use, energy use and waste generation.” See EPA’s sustainable management guidance.

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  • Review design choices for unnecessary material demand and avoidable offcuts.
  • Coordinate ordering, delivery, storage, and installation to reduce damage and excess.
  • Where practical, design for adaptation, disassembly, and future reuse.

2. Preserve structures and components that can remain in service

Before deciding on full demolition or replacement, assess whether an existing building, structure, or component can be retained. Keeping usable material in place avoids turning it into waste and can avoid purchasing replacement material. The appropriate choice depends on project conditions and requirements; preservation is not feasible in every case.

3. Plan salvage and direct reuse before work begins

Identify components that can be removed intact and used again, either on the same project or through a reuse outlet. Plan the sequence and handling needed to protect them. EPA recommends buying used and recycled products, source reduction, preserving existing structures, and salvaging and reusing existing materials as ways to divert C&D materials from disposal. Its guidance is at Best Practices for Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling C&D Materials.

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  • Identify potentially reusable items and their intended destination before removal.
  • Separate and store materials in a way that avoids breakage, weather damage, or contamination.
  • Check whether an onsite reuse plan is allowed under state and local requirements.

4. Confirm local recycling and reuse outlets

Do not assume a material is recyclable just because a market exists somewhere. Contact the receiving facility, reuse organization, or project site before separating or hauling materials. Ask what grades it accepts, contamination limits, preparation needs, delivery or pickup arrangements, fees, and available capacity. Local acceptance and market conditions vary; EPA does not provide a universal current price comparison.

5. Recycle suitable remaining material and document its destination

After prevention, preservation, and salvage, route suitable remaining material to a confirmed outlet. If a contract, permit, owner target, or reporting obligation requires diversion, establish at the outset what proof is needed and how destinations will be recorded. Keep records that match the project’s requirements and the receiving outlet’s documentation.

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Which construction materials can be reused or recycled?

EPA identifies wood, metals, concrete, asphalt, brick, and block as highly recoverable in many locations. “Highly recoverable” does not guarantee that a facility near a particular project accepts every grade or condition; check local requirements and outlets. EPA discusses reuse and recycling opportunities for demolition materials.

Material or outcome Potential route What to verify
Wood and metals Salvage usable components for direct reuse; recycle material that meets a local outlet’s specifications. Accepted grades, condition, contamination limits, preparation, and receiving capacity.
Concrete and asphalt Reuse suitable material where allowed or send it to an accepted recovery market, such as aggregate use. Facility acceptance, required processing or sorting, transport, and project or regulatory conditions.
Brick and block Salvage intact units for reuse or route suitable debris to a local recovery outlet. Whether intact material or broken debris is accepted and how it must be prepared.
Other material routed to “next use” Depending on the material and market, EPA’s category includes manufactured products, fuel, compost and mulch, and soil amendment. The actual receiving market and destination; “next use” is not synonymous with direct building-product reuse.
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What should project teams weigh when choosing a route?

  • Prevention or recovery: Avoiding material use prevents waste upstream; direct reuse retains a product or component; recycling processes discarded material into another use.
  • Material condition: Clean, intact components may be candidates for salvage, while mixed, damaged, or contaminated debris may have fewer outlets.
  • Local outlet and logistics: Acceptance, quality specifications, transport distance, fees, and capacity affect whether a route is practical.
  • Rules and project requirements: State and local requirements may govern onsite reuse and handling. Contracts or project targets may also specify diversion calculations and proof.
  • Destination quality: Distinguish direct reuse from aggregate, manufactured products, fuel, compost or mulch, soil amendment, and disposal.

Why divert C&D materials?

EPA identifies conserving landfill space, reducing environmental impacts associated with producing new materials, creating jobs, and potentially lowering project expenses through avoided material-purchase and disposal costs as benefits of C&D reduction and recycling. The outcome varies by project, material, logistics, and local market, so these benefits should not be treated as guaranteed savings or fixed environmental results. See EPA’s overview of industrial and C&D landfills.

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