Through Construction Works, builders are shown the environmental benefits of recycling and using recycled-content materials. Builders who recycle and reduce jobsite waste have reported dramatic savings.
Walsh Construction, which previously became a Construction works member for its efforts on the Nordheim Court project, was recognized as a member of Construction Works for its waste diversion strategies at the Eastside Housing Association's Avondale Park project.
For the Avondale Park affordable housing project, the jobsite recycling rate was 75 percent, and Walsh used many recycled-content materials during construction, such as wallboard, asphalt shingles, insulation, and concrete/asphalt mix. Walsh also employed multiple waste reduction strategies on the jobsite, the most notable being work with the architect to ensure the housing design modules accommodated standard framing and wallboard so that minimal waste is generated. Other waste reduction strategies included requiring subcontractors to take back containers and reuse pallets, saving all leftover remnants of construction lumber over 16 inches rather than disposing of them, reusing asphalt on road bases, and reusing concrete formwork.
Construction Works is co-sponsored by the King County Solid Waste Division and the Resource Venture, a program of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and Seattle Public Utilities.