Guidebook for U.S. Municipalities to create and Implement Deconstruction and Building Material Reuse Infrastructure

Construction and demolition of buildings create millions of tons of waste annually. The final resting place of this waste is typically in the landfill or in the recycling stream; however, that is not the best and highest use for many of these materials. Many materials are salvageable and reusable and putting them to reuse results in a carbon savings over recycling.  The intent of this capstone project was to provide a resource for municipalities to help them have access to tools to create building materials reuse infrastructure.  Municipalities have the most influence in moving the materials reuse market by utilizing their policy authority.  Implementing and supporting measures that support building materials recovery and reuse provides a host of social and environmental benefits to communities. This project was done for the benefit of Build Reuse. It is hoped that the project will be a foundational piece that Build Reuse can utilize to support broader reuse infrastructure nationally.

“My capstone project was an opportunity for me to take a deep dive into the topic of building materials reuse. As a sustainability director for a general contractor, I have long been aware of the challenges in the industry that keep good materials from getting reused. I wasn’t clear on what type of project I could do that would address this, and a preliminary meeting with my capstone professor really helped to soldify my capstone concept. Doing a project that was in parallel with my work was hugely beneficial and it created a tremendous amount of synergy for me to expand my network and really learn about something I was passionate about. I enjoyed the capstone experience, and I hope that the guidebook that was created as a result of the project is a foundational piece of work that can assist Build Reuse in further spurring the building material reuse industry in the US.”