Masonry Magazine December 1999 Page. 46
Construction Waste Recycling
Continued from page 45
Increased environmental awareness and the opportunity for entrepreneurs to profit drive construction waste recycling. There are no official counts on the number of C&D debris recycling companies in North America. CMRA estimates that there are slightly more than 3,100 concrete and asphalt recycling plants in that area, owned by nearly 1,000 companies. Only two or three companies own more than five of the plants, meaning that the industry is very fragmented.
The big waste hauling and landfill controlling companies, such as Waste Management and Allied, have looked at the industry, but own relatively small stakes in it. The same holds true for mixed waste and other types of C&D debris recycling facilities. The CMRA estimates there are about 600 either single material or mixed waste recycling waste facilities, several dozen asphalt shingle recyclers, and about the same number of gypsum recyclers. Again, these are all estimates.
Just like there is no official knowledge of the number of plants, it is anyone's guess how much tonnage is recycled and how much revenue is produced. No government agency or association tracks it, unlike most other products. Not all plants run year-round, some don't always run at full capacity, while others go full bore constantly. The average sale price per ton for recycled concrete is about $2.50 to $6.00. Any estimates on tonnage and revenues for mixed waste, asphalt shingle and gypsum recyclers would be entirely speculative.
The U.S. EPA recently performed the first-ever C&D waste characterization study to try to get a handle on how much tonnage is out there. It's a noble step, but any initial attempt is bound to be flawed, and this one certainly was. The study will provide a basis for getting more accurate numbers in the future. The study reports that building-related waste is about 136 million tons, and that does not count the millions of tons coming from road, bridge, and airport construction and renovation. The latter number will only increase in coming years when the effects of the BESTEA highway bill take hold.
CMRA
The Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA) is a non-profit, educationally oriented trade group that provides its members with a comprehensive list of literature and other information on recycled C&D materials. Its more than 75 members are located in all parts of North America and mostly are processors or generators of the material. The CMRA represents the industry at trade shows and reviews relevant industry documents. For example, the CMRA provided comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding its recent building-related C&D waste characterization study. The association is also trying to find ways to develop more markets for recycled C&D waste. It is affiliated with Construction Materials Recycler, the official voice of the C&D recycling industry.
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