ENV6: Responsible waste disposal

• Develop and post waste management plan and divert >75% from landfill (details below): 
  • Wood
  • Drywall
  • Mill cleared logs

Purpose

Responsible waste management is an essential component to reducing job-site waste. By posting it on the job site, you better ensure that the plan will be followed throughout the entire construction process by all on-site staff and trade contractors.

Criteria

Post a construction waste management plan on site and educate each subcontractor on the aspects of the plan that pertains to their work and enforce these measures. The waste management plan must either provide for onsite separation of materials to be recycled or provide for separation of recyclable materials by clean-up or waste hauling firms. Maintain documentation on diversion rate for each material. 

1. Wood Avoid disposal of a minimum of 75% (by weight or volume) of solid sawn wood by recycling through a state or county approved program or by on-site grinding and application of wood chips as mulch. Pressure treated wood is exempt from this requirement and may not be milled or applied as mulch.
2. Drywall Avoid disposal of a minimum of 75% (by weight or volume) of drywall generated from construction through an approved recycling program, or by onsite grinding and application of drywall as a soil amendment. 
3. Mill cleared logs Commercially process 100% of logs that meet sawmill standards into lumber, pulp or other use. Logs cannot be buried in a landfill or chipped.

Additional Resources

For the NAHB Research Center’s “Builder’s Field Guide to Residential Construction Waste Management” publication see here.

Confirmation 

• The builder must present documentation demonstrating compliance of criteria to the EarthCraft Technical Advisor prior to submitting project for certification 
• The EarthCraft Technical Advisor will review documentation provided by the builder for compliance and will visually confirm compliance during the mid-construction inspection.