CMRA survey to determine recycling rate for C&D material

Construction & Demolition Recycling, May-June, 2005

* The Construction Materials Recycling Association is mailing out more than 1,000 surveys to C&D recyclers across the United States in an attempt to determine how much construction and demolition material is recycled. This effort is in conjunction with two other efforts: one by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as it currently is updating its C&D Waste Characterization Study last published in 1998, and the National Demolition Association's survey of its members as to how much material they divert for recycling.

"This survey will complement those other studies on a couple of fronts," says William Turley, executive director, CMRA. "First, we hope to get an idea of how much of the material the EPA study says is generated is recycled. With our National Demolition Association data, we can help determine what percentage of some of the mixed C&D material contractors send to recycling centers is actually recycled."

Turley urges all C&D recyclers, including those recycling concrete, asphalt, wood, gypsum and asphalt shingles, to answer the survey to provide a good handle on what is going on in the market place. "This will also put a shining light on recyclers as we show how good of a job they are doing," he says.

The survey asks the recyclers to provide information on the following topics: how many plants the company has; how much C&D material those plants received in 2004; and the approximate percentage of mixed C&D receoved and the percentage of source-separated concrete, asphalt, wood, gypsum, metals, asphalt shingles and other related materials received. After reporting the tonnages received, respondents are then asked to report how much of the various materials the received were recycled in 2004.

The results will be available by end of May, says Turley. Anyone interested in more information on the survey should contact the CMRA at (630)585-7530 or at info@cdrecycling.org.