How to Reduce Construction Waste

Starr Dumpsters is your source for waste management. We love our community and believe that it is up to all of us to keep our environment clean, for ourselves and future generations. Those in the construction industry who share our mindset might be wondering how to reduce construction waste. Considering the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that about 600 million tons of construction and demolition waste was generated in the United States in 2018 alone, there is a lot of room for improvement. In this article, we will go over a few ways you can reduce waste, consequently saving you money while keeping our environment clean. You are always welcome to call us with any questions or concerns. We are always happy to help.

Plan Ahead

The project manager has a very important role. They are tasked with putting together a plan that gets the most done at the least expense. Actively consider ways to reduce construction waste when you are planning your construction. If we may, we would like to recommend some things to consider:

• Arrange to have recycling, compost, and waste bins at the job site.
• Educate workers on sorting waste as it is produced.
• Identify recyclable materials and direct workers to make use of the recycling bins.
• Conduct inventory checks and assess previous projects so that you can order the right amount of material. Not too much and not too little.
• Ensure your materials are stored in a secure location to prevent loss and damage from the elements.

Work with Your Suppliers

Wasting materials is bad for your bottom line and your suppliers are going to be happy to help in this regard. Ask your suppliers whether they can deliver materials on reusable pallets that they can pick up later. See how they can work to minimize packaging material and if they are willing to buy back any products you don’t use. Purchase materials in bulk to avoid individual packaging.

Reuse, Recycle, and Donate

Before tossing debris and material into the dumpster, consider whether they can be reused, recycled, or donated. Store materials in good condition to use in other areas of the project or other projects. For example, why cut a new piece of lumber to get a short piece if there are plenty of perfectly usable short pieces lying around?

There is going to be a ton of scrap wood and metals after the demolition and building process. Scrapped wood and metals can be recycled to be used later. Plus, recycling these materials can give you some cash as there are waste management companies ready to pay!

Finally, consider donating doors, hardware, appliances, and other fixtures from the old building. They can be donated to qualified charity organizations and you can earn a tax deduction for those donations. Consult with a qualified tax accountant for details.

Call Starr Dumpsters

Do you need to rent a dumpster or hire workers for the cleanup process? Starr Dumpsters can help. Call Starr Dumpsters to get in touch with a friendly representative today.