Wisconsin Div. of State Facilities will Require Recycling of Construction Waste on its Projects Starting Jan. 1

Starting in 2010, Wisconsin’s Div. of State Facilities will require construction and demolition waste from its projects to be recycled.
 
The new requirement applies to division's construction projects worth more than $5 million and all of its significant demolition projects. The new requirement starts with projects advertised for bid after January 1, 2010.
 
The new policy will reduce waste disposal costs, conserve landfill space and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
 
Pilot Project Paved the Way
The policy grew out of a unique partnership among two state agencies and a nonprofit organization that have, since 2007, shown that construction and demolition (C&D) projects throughout Wisconsin can recycle successfully.
 
In the pilot project that paved the way, nonprofit WasteCap Resource Solutions (formerly WasteCap Wisconsin) worked with the Dept. of Administration Division of State Facilities (DSF) under a contract with the Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR). The project developed methods, standards and trained staff for successful, measured C&D debris recycling on state projects.
 
C&D Waste Large in Landfills
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates more than 170 million tons of C&D debris is generated nationally each year. In Wisconsin, C&D debris – much of it recyclable – represents a huge portion of municipal solid waste. A 2002 DNR study found that C&D debris made up nearly 30% of the municipal solid waste, with five of the top 10 largest components being materials found in C&D debris. Untreated wood ranked first and shingles ranked third.
 
When the new recycling requirements are underway, much of the annual construction and demolition debris from state projects will be recycled rather than dumped in landfills.
 
Group Hopes Contractors Carry Recycling Habit to Non-State Projects
The inspiration for the pilot project came from Gov. Jim Doyle’s 2005 Conserve Wisconsin Agenda in which he committed to following green building standards for state buildings and set a goal of recycling 50% of C&D waste from all state projects. In response, the DSF developed a Sustainable Facilities Policy and Guidelines, including C&D debris management guidelines.
 
At the same time, the DNR contracted with WasteCap, a nonprofit organization that provides waste reduction and recycling assistance for the benefit of business and the environment, to work with the DSF on the implementation of C&D debris recycling on state projects.
 
“By any measure, this effort has been a success,” said Dave Haley, State Chief Architect and Deputy Director of the Bureau of Architecture and Engineering for the Department of Administration. “Every pilot project exceeded the 50% percent goal, and many of the contractors that recycled on these projects are now recycling on other projects where they are not required to recycle. These projects have an average 84.8% recycling rate and have diverted 41,771 tons of material to date—the equivalent of removing 1,500 cars from the road for one year.”
 
“I’ve led recycling efforts on a few of my sites now. The specifications and internal practices that we developed in this program were very important to making the recycling work well,” said DSF Project Manager Rex Loker. “I’m glad the state is leading the way in recycling.”

Jenna Kunde, executive director of WasteCap, says that if C&D reuse and recycling becomes part of the way contractors do business with the state, it could allow them to implement successful C&D recycling on their other projects throughout Wisconsin and beyond.
 
Tim Andrew, senior project manager of Miron Construction Co., Inc., one of the contractors involved in the pilot projects, said the experience has helped to change the way his company operates. “Miron is now recycling on all of our construction projects, regardless of project-specific recycling requirements” he said. ”The costs of implementing a construction waste management (CWM) plan are offset with the savings in avoiding landfill disposal fees.”
 
The pilot project sites:
UW Madison Biochemistry Phase II (Demolition and Construction)
Division of State Facilities Project Manager: Russ VanGilder
Lead Contractor: JH Findorff & Son, Inc.
Recycling rate: 99.12%
Tons diverted to date: 25,592
 
UW Parkside New Residence Hall Construction
Division of State Facilities Project Manager: Bob Kilgust
Lead Contractor: JP Cullen
Recycling rate: 60%
Tons diverted: 334
 
UW Stevens Point – Balwin Hall Renovation
Division of State Facilities Project Manager: Larry Earll
Lead Contractor: Ellis Stone
Recycling rate: 90.65%
Tons diverted: 231
 
UW Superior-Rothwell Student Center Replacement (Demolition and Construction)
Division of State Facilities Project Manager: Angela Zar
Lead Contractor: Immel Construction
Recycling rate: 95.75%
Tons diverted to date: 1,339
 
UW Whitewater Hyland Hall, Demolition Phase
Division of State Facilities Project Manager: Rex Loker
Lead Contractor: Miron Construction
Demolition Contractor: Zenith Industrial Services
Recycling rate: 97.65%
Tons diverted: 13,694
 
UW Whitewater Hyland Hall, Construction Phase
Division of State Facilities Project Manager: Rex Loker
Lead Contractor: Miron Construction
Recycling rate: 65.65%
Tons diverted: 581

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