The Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA) is mailing out more than 1,000 surveys to construction and demolition recyclers across the United States in an attempt to determine how much C&D material is recycled.
The survey is being conducted in conjunction with two other efforts—one by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as it updates its C&D Waste Characterization study last published in 1998 and the National Demolition Association’s survey of its members as to how much material they divert for recycling.
“This survey will complement those other studies on a couple of fronts,” says William Turley, executive director of the CMRA and associate publisher of Construction & Demolition Recycling magazine. “First, we hope to get an idea of how much of the C&D material the EPA study says is generated is recycled. With our National Demolition Association data, we can help determine what percentage of some of the mixed C&D material demolition contractors send to recycling centers is actually recycled.”
Turley urges all C&D recyclers, including those recycling concrete, asphalt, wood, gypsum and asphalt shingles, to answer the survey. “This will put a shining light on recyclers as we show how good of a job they are doing,” he says.
The survey asks the recyclers the following questions:
- How many plants does the company have?
- How much C&D material did those plants receive in 2004?
- What percentage of that was mixed C&D?
- What percentage of it was source separated concrete, asphalt, wood, gypsum, metals, asphalt shingles and other related materials?
After determining the tonnage received, the respondent is then asked to report how much of the various materials were recycled in 2004.
According to Turley, the CMRA will compile all data received and share it with the EPA. “We want others to know how recyclers are doing their part to save on natural resources and divert reusable material from landfills, all the while providing jobs and paying taxes in an environmentally friendly industry,” he says.
The results will be available by the end of May, says Turley. Anyone interested in more information on the survey can contact the CMRA at (630) 585-7530 or at info@cdrecycling.org.