From Demolition to Deconstruction: A Path Toward Circularity

The United States produces over 600 million tons of demolition waste annually, the largest single-stream, single-source, source of waste. Transitioning from demolition to deconstruction at the end of a building’s use can greatly reduce waste and enables the reuse of building materials, furnishings and architectural components, supporting a circular economy. Deconstruction is the process of removing and dismantling usable components from a building prior to its demolition.

• Demolition:?Tearing down of a building structure or its parts with bulldozers and explosives to clear a site quickly, resulting in enormous amounts of waste?
• (C&D) Construction & Demolition Waste:? Waste and debris generated during construction, remodeling, renovation, excavation and demolition of structures, buildings, roads and bridges
• Deconstruction:??Dismantling and removal of a structure or its parts, in reverse order of construction, salvage and components can be reused and recycled?
• Salvage:??Removal of disassembled and valuable building materials, components and products for reuse, recycled from existing structures?

In NY alone,?58% of construction and demolition materials are discarded annually, 90% of which can be reused or recycled by deconstruction. Architectural salvage can be anything which can be deconstructed such as windows, cabinetry, masonry, timber, wood flooring and lighting fixtures. Usable salvage is collected and transported separately in order to make second use possible.?

Demolition methods, such as using excavators and explosives, can release harmful dust and particulates that can potentially travel up to 400 feet from the site, posing health risks including respiratory issues and cancers linked to materials like asbestos and PCBs.

Whether demolition or deconstruction is considered, it is important to conduct pre-demolition audits and?salvage assessments on reuse and toxicity/ pollutants. Refer to our chart below on material risk exposure.?

Currently, structurally sound buildings with a wood-frame or brick construction are?most suitable for deconstruction.?Partial deconstruction is also a viable option to reduce waste and carbon impacts if full deconstruction is not feasible.?

Construction and Demolition?Materials which can be Salvaged:?

• Concrete
• Asphalt?
• Gypsum
• Metals?
• Windows
• Cabinetry
• Masonry / Bricks
• Glass?
• Plastics?
• Timber / Lumber
• Doors
• Furniture
• Kitchen & Bath Fixtures
• Appliances
• Tiles
• Wood Flooring?
• Lighting Fixtures?

Reuse centers?are located globally to source architectural salvage and upcycle materials. Expanding their presence is key to a circular system.?Habitat for Humanity have nationwide ReStores.?In Brooklyn, New York, Big Reuse is an environmental nonprofit with a large reuse center. In 2023, they sold 6,600 pieces of furniture and?recovered 1,574,056 pounds of materials, equal to 1,685 metric tons of carbon.?

In new construction, source upcycled furnishings and architectural salvage for low embodied carbon solutions.?Use Digital Product Passports such as RFID tags and QR Codes to ensure material transparency and source materials suitable for disassembly. For example, ClayTec’s?thin-bed mortar in our?Earth?collection is completely water-soluble,?ensuring the ability for eventual separation and the infinite recycling of building materials for a circular system. It meets the requirements for non-load-bearing interior walls and is suitable for clay blocks, bonding bricks, sand-lime bricks, and aerated concrete. This mortar is an ECOInstitut Tested Product for low pollutants and emissions.

For deconstruction education and information on policy initiatives, refer to?Build Reuse.?

We invite you to join us, in person or online, for our upcoming event,?Restoration and Resilience: Rebuilding Ukraine on Monday March 3rd at 6:30pm ET.?