Construction waste makes up almost a quarter of the waste stream in Washington, meaning nonprofits, governments and the private sector are eyeing it as a big diversion opportunity.
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Debris from construction and demolition is some of the easiest material to recycle or reuse. Concrete can be ground up for aggregate, asphalt shingles can be used for road base, gypsum can be made into new drywall, scrap metal can be melted down, and wood can be mulched or used for biomass fuel.
This is no surprise for the RE Store salvage crew. Instead of sending one worker to a job site to “crunch” a structure with an excavator, these pros systematically dismantle a building from the inside out, removing fixtures, cabinets, trim and flooring, before taking on the structural elements.
In case you missed it: DIVERTED (Tracing the path of recycling in Whatcom County) is a multi-part series that follows waste from curbside to commodity market, written by @j-tell.bsky.social and photographed by @finnwendt.com
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Read the series: