C&D Resources and FAQs
Timbers of 802: A Chronicle of Deconstruction
This video documents a large-scale project to salvage materials from the Port of Oakland’s Building 802 at the former Oakland Army Base. You can also download a report on this project.
C&D FAQs
Find Recycling Facilities
- Use the RE:Source search tool to find recycling facilities for C&D debris and reuse facilities for building materials.
- Visit the Recycling Certification Institute's website for third-party verified diversion rates for recycling facilities.
Additional Resources
- Carpet Tile Reuse flyer lists local organizations that accept clean carpet tiles for reuse.
- RecyclerFinder is an online and mobile application for quickly locating facilities nationwide that handle C&D and other recycled materials.
- Waste Tracking is a web-based construction waste management tool that StopWaste was involved with developing.
Hazardous waste and materials are common at construction sites. The Baywise website has information about how to handle hazardous wastes from deconstruction or demolition projects.
The materials listed here CANNOT be placed in the trash or recycled using curbside recycling. They must be recycled by a specialty recycler. If you need to dispose of a material not on this list, search our RE:Source guide.
Residents: Find out how to properly dispose of household hazardous waste.
- Asbestos
- Aerosol Cans (non empty) Note: Empty aerosol cans can go in the recycling bin.
- Batteries, Household (single-use; rechargeable) or Auto
- Contaminated Soils
- Fluorescent Lighting Tubes and Ballasts Note: Recommendations for when a CFL or other mercury-containing bulb breaks
- Herbicides and Pesticides
- Mercury Thermostats
- Architectural Paint Cans (New/Unopen)
- Architectural Paint Cans (Non-empty) Note: Empty cans from paints, stains and varnishes can go in the recycling bin.
- Solvents, Thinners & Cleaning Products
- Treated Wood including Railroad Ties
- Fuels such as Gasoline and Kerosene
- Propane Tanks/Gas Cylinders – refillable
- Propane Tanks/Gas Cylinders – single use
This is not a complete list of deconstruction services and is provided for information purposes only. StopWaste is not endorsing or recommending these businesses.
- Building Materials Reuse Association, national business directory
- Deconstruction & Reuse Network, (415) 690-0196
- GreenLynx, (415) 890-5880
- Greenworx USA, (888) 714-7444
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore, various locations in the Bay Area
- IRS Demo, large commercial interiors projects, (323) 357-6900
- Jigsaw Design-Build, (650) 305-1103
- Makoni Construction, (650) 533-2124
- Marcan Enterprises Inc., (650) 580-2922
- Mission Bell, (408) 778-2036
- Place Makers, Inc., (650) 303-7530
- Rebuild Green (650) 720-1301
- Scott’s Demolition, (650) 593-7799
- St. Helena Construction Company, (707) 963-8058
- The Reuse People, (888) 588-9490
- V’s Demolition, Inc., (831) 429-8638
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.
Recycling 1 ton of cardboard boxes, for example, reduces greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 4 tons of carbon dioxide.
Deconstructing instead of demolishing a 2,000 sq. ft. house reduces greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking three cars off the road for a year. (Source: ReBuilding Center)
Learn more:
- Recycling C&D Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions poster/fact sheet
- Adding Up the Climate Benefits of C&D Recycling article from C&D World magazine highlights use of the GreenPoint Rated Climate Calculator to account for recycling's role in cutting greenhouse gas emissions
- Building Material Reuse Association is a non-profit educational and research organization that provides information to facilitate building deconstruction and the reuse and recycling of recovered building materials.
- California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) brings together the state's recycling and waste management programs. The website includes comprehensive C&D recycling information.
- Construction Demolition Recycling Association promotes recycling of the more than 500 million tons of recoverable C&D materials generated in the United States annually.
- Design for Reuse Primer, written by Public Architecture, explores 15 successful building reuse projects from different sectors.
- Recycling Certification Institute provides third-party verification of recovery and recycling reporting by C&D recycling facilities nationwide.
In 2017, StopWaste analyzed 2,000 construction and demolition waste management plans from five Alameda County cities for the years 2014-2017.
The data analysis included tons generated (disposed + recycled), project square footage, and project and building types. This table provides estimates for construction and demolition waste generation based on building and project type.
C&D waste generation estimates for the 10 most common building/project types in Alameda County1
| Building Type | Project Type | Median lb/sq ft |
Low end2 lb/sq ft |
High end3 lb/sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial | Demolition/Deconstruction | 10.0 | 1.5 | 43.5 |
| Commercial | New Construction | 14.8 | 2.6 | 59.3 |
| Commercial | Remodel | 6.9 | 1.9 | 20.1 |
| Commercial | Repair/Reconstruction | 10.0 | 1.5 | 43.5 |
| Commercial | Tenant Improvement | 3.8 | 1.2 | 11.6 |
| Multi-Family | New Construction | 6.0 | 3.6 | 10.8 |
| Office | Tenant Improvement | 2.3 | 1.0 | 6.1 |
| Residential | New Construction | 7.3 | 3.9 | 14.6 |
| Residential | Remodel | 24.6 | 9.0 | 67.4 |
| Retail | Tenant Improvement | 6.4 | 1.7 | 17.6 |
| Notes: | |
| 1 Data collected from five Alameda County cities, utilizing Waste Management Plan data | |
| 2 20th percentile | |
| 3 80th percentile |