Landscape Results: Construction Waste
Landscape Results
Compost and mulch • Water • Construction waste • Sheet mulch • Carbon emissions • Carbon sequestration • Back to main page
Rated Landscapes in Alameda County kept over 236,000 tons of construction waste out of landfills.
Installing new landscapes and renovating existing ones can produce significant waste. In California, construction and demolition (C&D) debris includes wood, soil, cardboard, asphalt, concrete, glass, metal and other materials. C&D materials account for up to 25% of the disposed waste stream in California.
Keeping C&D debris out of landfills through reuse and recycling has multiple benefits:
- Saves money: lower disposal fees, potentially less need to purchase new materials
- Conserves natural resources
- Slows the rate at which landfills reach capacity
- Reduces methane emissions from landfills
Did you know? When organic materials such as wood and cardboard break down in landfills, they produce methane, which is 20 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Landfills account for 34% of methane emissions in the United States, so reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.