The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced the implementation of mandatory recycling on all state construction and demolition projects. The initiative will officially begin January 1, 2010.
Champion Environmental Services, Inc., a pioneer of waste reduction in building demolition, took part in several state project studies dating back to 2007; our demolition efforts were monitored and documented by WasteCap Resource Solutions.
Findings were reported back to Governor Jim Doyle, the Wisconsin Department of Administration Division of State Facilities (DSF) and Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Champion provided WasteCap Resource Solutions onsite empirical accreditation along with open interviews of key project managers/field superintendents who clarified the implementation strategies of our best practices for demolition recycling.
Champion’s innovative approach to material recycling help guide recommendations presented to the Wisconsin Department of Administration Division of State Facilities (DSF) and Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The press release about the program is below.
Interagency cooperation leads to recycling on State of Wisconsin projects
News Release Published: October 19, 2009 by the Central Office
Contact(s): Ann Coakley, DNR Waste and Materials Management Program Director, (608) 261-8449
Recycling required on state construction projects over
$5 million and state demolition projects as of Jan. 1, 2010
MADISON – Wisconsin should see less construction and demolition (C&D) debris in its landfills come the first of the year. A unique partnership among two state agencies and a nonprofit organization has shown that C&D projects throughout Wisconsin can successfully recycle. Based on these results, the Division of State Facilities will be requiring C&D waste to be recycled rather than put in landfills. This will apply to State of Wisconsin construction projects over $5 million and demolition projects advertised for bid after January 1, 2010. The efforts will reduce waste disposal costs, conserve landfill space and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The encouraging results come from a pilot project in which the nonprofit WasteCap Resource Solutions (formerly WasteCap Wisconsin) worked with the Department of Administration Division of State Facilities (DSF) under a contract with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The goal of the project, which began in 2007, was to develop methods, standards and trained staff to result in successful, measured C&D debris recycling on state projects.
Nationally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates more than 170 million tons of C&D debris are generated each year. In Wisconsin, C&D debris—much of which is recyclable—represents a huge proportion of the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream. A 2002 DNR study found that C&D debris made up nearly 30 percent of the MSW stream, with five of the top 10 largest single components of the MSW being materials found in C&D debris, including untreated wood and shingles as the first and third largest components, respectively.
In recent years, the state of Wisconsin annually approved about $400 million to $500 million for construction, making state projects one of the largest sources of C&D debris generated in Wisconsin.
“We recognized this was a significant effort, not only because of the potential to reuse and recycle C&D debris from state projects,” said Jenna Kunde, executive director of WasteCap. “We knew if we could give contractors experience with C&D reuse and recycling and make it a part of the way they do business with the state; it would have the potential to allow them to implement successful C&D recycling on projects throughout Wisconsin and beyond. It’s a result we’re already seeing realized.”
The inspiration for the 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 50 percent recycling goal for 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 percent 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.”
Here are the results:
•UW Madison Biochemistry Phase II (Demolition and Construction)
Recycling rate: 99.12 percent
Tons diverted to date: 25,592
•UW Parkside New Residence Hall Construction
Recycling rate: 60 percent
Tons diverted: 334
•UW Stevens Point – Balwin Hall Renovation
Recycling rate: 90.65 percent
Tons diverted: 231
•UW Superior-Rothwell Student Center Replacement (Demolition and Construction)
Recycling rate: 95.75 percent
Tons diverted to date: 1,339
•UW Whitewater Hyland Hall, Demolition Phase
Recycling rate: 97.65 percent
Tons diverted: 13,694
•UW Whitewater Hyland Hall, Construction Phase
Recycling rate: 65.65 percent
Tons diverted: 581
“We are very pleased with the example this project has set,” said Ann Coakley, director of the DNR Waste and Materials Management Program. “The work the DSF and WasteCap have done, with input from DNR staff, has laid the groundwork for the development of robust C&D recycling markets in Wisconsin and trained some of the state’s biggest contractors in recycling best management practices. This project has helped make Wisconsin a national leader in C&D recycling.”
Additional Resources (both links exit DNR): Governor Doyle’s Conserve Wisconsin agenda and Division 1 Construction Waste Management specifications
Showing posts with label Green building. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Green building. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Champion To Direct Another LEED Project
Champion Environmental Services, Inc. in partnership with the Madison Environmental Group, will facilitate a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification project for the City Row initiative in Madison, Wisconsin.
Prior to the demolition of 11 multiunit residences, Madison Environmental will oversee the deconstruction of the properties. Materials identified for reuse include: hot water heaters, boilers, decorative trim, hardwood flooring, pine/oak doors, decorative handrails, and miscellaneous door hardware/light fixtures.
The project will include the proper removal of all site hazardous waste. Fluorescent lighting with mercury and PCB bulbs and ballast will be properly disposed. All refrigerants will be recovered per Wisconsin Administrative Code NR 488.
The demolition recycling efforts will include concrete, brick, block, asphalt, metals and clean wood. The project is scheduled to begin the first week of November. Champion Environmental Services, Inc. is confident that we will help the client achieve 95% recycling rate through our innovative practices.
Prior to the demolition of 11 multiunit residences, Madison Environmental will oversee the deconstruction of the properties. Materials identified for reuse include: hot water heaters, boilers, decorative trim, hardwood flooring, pine/oak doors, decorative handrails, and miscellaneous door hardware/light fixtures.
The project will include the proper removal of all site hazardous waste. Fluorescent lighting with mercury and PCB bulbs and ballast will be properly disposed. All refrigerants will be recovered per Wisconsin Administrative Code NR 488.
The demolition recycling efforts will include concrete, brick, block, asphalt, metals and clean wood. The project is scheduled to begin the first week of November. Champion Environmental Services, Inc. is confident that we will help the client achieve 95% recycling rate through our innovative practices.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Demolition, The “Green” Guide
The demolition industry has been dedicated to green initiatives long before the Green Building Council and like-minded organizations evolved. Champion Environmental Services, Inc. is regarded as an industry pioneer with regard to our approach in recycling products out of our demolition projects.
Our commitment to recycling has translated into being awarded the “Big Diverter” by WasteCap Wisconsin for the highest recycling rate on a demolition project. This project involved the demolition of a 440,000 square foot building which yielded a recycling rate of a little over 97% by volume and 99% weight; 39,144 tons of debris was diverted from landfills through our efforts. Champion Environmental Services,Inc. is very proud of these results and continually works to improve such baseline efficiencies.
Key factors to successful recycling include project planning, on site project management, and an experienced team of operators and laborers who understand the scope of work.
The videos at the end of this entry illustrate the proper segregation of material during demolition; on site material management must involve continual spot review by project managers who will make appropriate adjustments to the implementation plan. One of the consistent remarks we get from people who view our demolition projects is that they cannot believe how “clean” we keep our sites during demolition.
Our approach to Recycling:
Each job is unique - there is no one stop/blanket approach; each individual project has inherent advantages and disadvantages - which are mostly contingent on two key factors: geography, essentially where the job site is located and amount of clean recyclable material that is available.
Geographic local is very important as we find large metropolitan areas such as the Chicago, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland markets offer many local vendors who support and provide end use places for raw material, whereas the further we mobilize into isolated areas – the issue is one of cost – for us to load and transport say wood beams to our Racine Wisconsin yard from job in Minnesota for resale versus the opportunity to work with someone near our job site who deals in antique woods and has use is a factor will influence recycling success.
Isolated locations can be cost prohibitive when labor costs and transportation are factored in. Areas which provide close supportive reclamation opportunities are favorable circumstances for increasing target objectives. The good news is we are seeing vendors evolve, grow, and expand their markets to provide sound resources for items such as clean drywall or the strong move toward roofing shingles operations - such opportunities directly impact our success and creates greater probability to achieve sound results. Another factor is how much clean material - free of asbestos, lead, or other hazards - is available to recycle.
Older building/homes and especially industrial sites often contain a host of environmental hazards which must be addressed. This is something we take into consideration on any initial site visit/during client consultation and upon review of the environmental consultants’ survey.
The nature of that clean recyclable product and size of the structure is also a relevant point of assertion: the more concrete, steel, antique brick in a large structure the greater opportunity for positive reults. One specific example I would cite involves concrete; for our company to mobilize a concrete crusher and provide clean fill from concrete slabs and foundation for use on new construction following demolition is more cost-effective when numbers reach 2,000 tons of available material to work with. Our fleet of crushers and screens allows us the flexibility to create any sized aggregate to meet the standards for new construction infill.
Bottom Line of advantages and disadvantages:
The bottom line in terms of how feasible it is to recycle and reuse material is not only contingent on some of the factors I just outlined but driven by what the clients’ needs are and how cost effective the choices before us translate. While the majority of people who choose our company to provide demolition services like our focused green initiatives, we will from time to time get a client who wants the project facilitated inane manner – in other words, they want the building gone and don’t care how we do it or where the material winds up. We try to guide clients who operate under this premise that we can provide a more cost-effective solution through reuse and recycling while providing options.
The project also must make fiscal sense – we are a business and must operate within certain margins – that being said – our innovative practices 90% of the time inhibit the potential financial downside from being a factor. Because we offer 24/7 response for emergency demolition situations – given a certain set of circumstances can often mean just getting a building down in favor of creating a safe environment - these cases often result in a different mindset – alleviate the immediate danger, then assess what you have.
Key Factors To Our Success:
There are many factors which contribute to our success which includes the development of relationships with vendors who provide reuse opportunities; we have a a database that is geographically broken down to maximize/capitalize on such prospects.
We are continually seeking new vendor relationships and connect with them early on even if no job in currently taking place in that area. A proactive approach allows for seamless execution when an opportunity presents itself.
Innovation – we are always seeking news ways to enhance what we do; by maintaining an eye on industry innovations and supportive industry advances allows Champion to refine and improve our commitment to being stewards of the environment in a business that is usually viewed as anything but friendly to the environment.
I hope you enjoy these videos. Credit for the video goes to the following person on You Tube who posted these in April of 2008 - http://www.youtube.com/user/jdrews3
Our commitment to recycling has translated into being awarded the “Big Diverter” by WasteCap Wisconsin for the highest recycling rate on a demolition project. This project involved the demolition of a 440,000 square foot building which yielded a recycling rate of a little over 97% by volume and 99% weight; 39,144 tons of debris was diverted from landfills through our efforts. Champion Environmental Services,Inc. is very proud of these results and continually works to improve such baseline efficiencies.
Key factors to successful recycling include project planning, on site project management, and an experienced team of operators and laborers who understand the scope of work.
The videos at the end of this entry illustrate the proper segregation of material during demolition; on site material management must involve continual spot review by project managers who will make appropriate adjustments to the implementation plan. One of the consistent remarks we get from people who view our demolition projects is that they cannot believe how “clean” we keep our sites during demolition.
Our approach to Recycling:
Each job is unique - there is no one stop/blanket approach; each individual project has inherent advantages and disadvantages - which are mostly contingent on two key factors: geography, essentially where the job site is located and amount of clean recyclable material that is available.
Geographic local is very important as we find large metropolitan areas such as the Chicago, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland markets offer many local vendors who support and provide end use places for raw material, whereas the further we mobilize into isolated areas – the issue is one of cost – for us to load and transport say wood beams to our Racine Wisconsin yard from job in Minnesota for resale versus the opportunity to work with someone near our job site who deals in antique woods and has use is a factor will influence recycling success.
Isolated locations can be cost prohibitive when labor costs and transportation are factored in. Areas which provide close supportive reclamation opportunities are favorable circumstances for increasing target objectives. The good news is we are seeing vendors evolve, grow, and expand their markets to provide sound resources for items such as clean drywall or the strong move toward roofing shingles operations - such opportunities directly impact our success and creates greater probability to achieve sound results. Another factor is how much clean material - free of asbestos, lead, or other hazards - is available to recycle.
Older building/homes and especially industrial sites often contain a host of environmental hazards which must be addressed. This is something we take into consideration on any initial site visit/during client consultation and upon review of the environmental consultants’ survey.
The nature of that clean recyclable product and size of the structure is also a relevant point of assertion: the more concrete, steel, antique brick in a large structure the greater opportunity for positive reults. One specific example I would cite involves concrete; for our company to mobilize a concrete crusher and provide clean fill from concrete slabs and foundation for use on new construction following demolition is more cost-effective when numbers reach 2,000 tons of available material to work with. Our fleet of crushers and screens allows us the flexibility to create any sized aggregate to meet the standards for new construction infill.
Bottom Line of advantages and disadvantages:
The bottom line in terms of how feasible it is to recycle and reuse material is not only contingent on some of the factors I just outlined but driven by what the clients’ needs are and how cost effective the choices before us translate. While the majority of people who choose our company to provide demolition services like our focused green initiatives, we will from time to time get a client who wants the project facilitated inane manner – in other words, they want the building gone and don’t care how we do it or where the material winds up. We try to guide clients who operate under this premise that we can provide a more cost-effective solution through reuse and recycling while providing options.
The project also must make fiscal sense – we are a business and must operate within certain margins – that being said – our innovative practices 90% of the time inhibit the potential financial downside from being a factor. Because we offer 24/7 response for emergency demolition situations – given a certain set of circumstances can often mean just getting a building down in favor of creating a safe environment - these cases often result in a different mindset – alleviate the immediate danger, then assess what you have.
Key Factors To Our Success:
There are many factors which contribute to our success which includes the development of relationships with vendors who provide reuse opportunities; we have a a database that is geographically broken down to maximize/capitalize on such prospects.
We are continually seeking new vendor relationships and connect with them early on even if no job in currently taking place in that area. A proactive approach allows for seamless execution when an opportunity presents itself.
Innovation – we are always seeking news ways to enhance what we do; by maintaining an eye on industry innovations and supportive industry advances allows Champion to refine and improve our commitment to being stewards of the environment in a business that is usually viewed as anything but friendly to the environment.
I hope you enjoy these videos. Credit for the video goes to the following person on You Tube who posted these in April of 2008 - http://www.youtube.com/user/jdrews3
Monday, March 30, 2009
The Building Material Reuse Association (BMRA) Conference “DECON '09”
Champion Environmental Services, Inc. will be making a presentation at The Building Material Reuse Association (BMRA) Conference “DECON '09” on April 29, 2009.
Terrence O’Rourke will be reporting on two successful large scale demolition projects in Wisconsin that yielded high recycling rates. The focus of the presentation will resolve some of the concerns of “demolition” versus “deconstruction” practices. Conference attendees will come to recognize that successful demolition practices employ deconstruction techniques.
The difference between demolition and deconstruction points to preconceived linguistic associations; deconstruction is a word which evokes a notion of a controlled, clean, more environmentally friendly approach to resolving old building material salvage whereas demolition suggests harsh imagery of reckless destruction.
Ultimately, conference attendees will understand that companies such as Champion Environmental Services, Inc., have acted as stewards of the environment long before movements toward green initiatives took hold in America.
Terrence O’Rourke will be reporting on two successful large scale demolition projects in Wisconsin that yielded high recycling rates. The focus of the presentation will resolve some of the concerns of “demolition” versus “deconstruction” practices. Conference attendees will come to recognize that successful demolition practices employ deconstruction techniques.
The difference between demolition and deconstruction points to preconceived linguistic associations; deconstruction is a word which evokes a notion of a controlled, clean, more environmentally friendly approach to resolving old building material salvage whereas demolition suggests harsh imagery of reckless destruction.
Ultimately, conference attendees will understand that companies such as Champion Environmental Services, Inc., have acted as stewards of the environment long before movements toward green initiatives took hold in America.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Oak Park, Illinois Demolition
Today, Champion Environmental Services, Inc., began mobilizing equipment to prepare for the demolition of several commercial structures in Oak Park, Illinois. As utility cutoffs are finalized and with the environmental abatement now complete, interior demolition of the Westgate building will begin this week.
The challenges of working in a dense, urban-like environment, such as Oak Park are numerous. One difficulty we faced was getting the large equipment onsite. The properties slated for demolition are surrounded by heavy automobile and pedestrian traffic. With restaurants, high rise condominiums, a metra train stop, and plenty of retail in the immediate area, CESI had to devise a plan to move machinery in the safest and least inconvenient manner. An additional challenge was how to navigate a semi and lowboy on extremely narrow streets; it was determined our drivers could pull the trucks in but have great difficulty getting the trailers out.
Aided by a team of CESI workers that included flaggers and well place safety barricades, the machinery was unloaded on Harlem Avenue and then driven through a parking lot and onto the site. [Pictured above] The equipment drop was entirely seamless with little interruption to local business and without incident.
Champion Environmental Services, Inc., applies careful planning into each aspect of the work we perform always taking into consideration factors that are well beyond the immediate scope of work. Maximum team effort places safety as our first priority. The welfare of those who are immediately impacted by our actions drives the innovation – such distinctiveness is readily evident through solid strategic implementation and skillful project outcomes.
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