How to Be Sustainable and Reduce Costs During a Real Estate Construction and Demolition Project
As a real estate property owner, you may eventually decide to take down a home or commercial building and put up something new, or just sell the land you own without an old property on it. During the demolition project, it’s important to consider how to be sustainable and reduce costs. Practicing environmental stewardship for a demolition and construction project can make a huge difference to our environment. Here, we will discuss topics such as what materials are recyclable, benefits of reducing disposal of material, and how you can reduce, reuse, recycle, and rebuy.
Construction and Demolition Materials
Construction and demolition materials are accumulated when existing buildings are demolished or renovated and a new building is created in its place. Real estate owners must consider their local, state, and federal regulations pertaining to demolishing a property to ensure they don’t receive fines or encounter roadblocks in their project. Materials that result after a demolition or construction project of a real estate property include:
- Bricks
- Glass
- Plastic
- Concrete
- Wood
- Asphalt
- Gypsum
- Metals
In addition to this list, other materials can entail doors, windows, plumbing fixtures, kitchen appliances, stumps, rock, earth, and trees. Real estate property owners may want to coordinate with a junk removal company to have debris taken away, as to not cause an unnecessary delay in the project.
Pros of Reducing Waste During Demolition
Statistically, over 90% of all construction and demolition debris are generated due to demolition. There are thousands and thousands of real estate projects going on across the United States at any given time. If none of these project leaders practiced environmental stewardship, then it would cause serious harm to the world. Here are potential significant benefits to reducing waste and deconstructing for material reuse during a demolition project:
- Leads to less disposal facilities, reducing the impact on the environment
- Offsets the impact on the environment associated with the consumption of resources and production of materials
- Conserves space in landfills
- Maximizes material recovery
- Conserves finite resources
- Generates employment for recycling industries
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rebuy
Real estate property owners who have planned a demolition and construction project can divert materials from ending up in the landfill by practicing recycling, by reusing materials, and buying used products. If you are unsure how to incorporate this into your demolition project, you can consult with a reputable demolition company or contractor for more information. Examples of ways to reduce disposal of materials during demolition include:
- Preserving at least part of the building, rather than building a new one.
- Optimizing the new building size.
- Designing the new building for adaptability.
- Using demolition methods that enable the crew to recycle gathered materials as the project proceeds.
- Reducing finishes on the interior.
- Utilizing alternative techniques for framing.
Real estate property owners who want to begin their demolition and construction project smartly and with the environment in mind, are encouraged to speak with a commercial demolition service, like a commercial demolition service in Los Angeles, CA, as soon as possible to assist during the planning stage.
Thanks to Nielsen Environmental for their insight into how to be sustainable and reduce costs during a demolition project.
