Choosing green construction materials saves green
Burns & McDonnell scales up sustainability by adding global reuse services
Global architecture-engineering-construction company Burns & McDonnell recently added global reuse services to its service portfolio with the hiring of Nathan Benjamin and Brian Alferman. They were the innovators behind PlanetReuse, a venture started by Benjamin in 2008 that provided reclaimed building material coordination, brokering and consulting services throughout North America.
Benjamin, now a manager of programs with the firm’s Global Facilities (GFS) practice, told FoodProduction Daily, “Building materials – leftover materials from new construction and renovation projects, used materials such as carpeting that is being replaced, and debris consisting of spent from facilities that are being torn down – make up the highest percentage of US landfill content.”
“Our goal when we started PlanetReuse was to change that percentage substantially,” he added. “That’s still our goal, and we should be on a faster track now that we have the resources of Burns & McDonnell behind us.”
Waste not, want not
Benjamin said that when he started PlanetReuse seven years ago, the existing reuse movement was largely oriented to “the front end of design.” In other words, it was closer to what one might see on a DIY network TV show, where people cherry-pick decorative items from buildings that have fallen into disrepair.
“We weren’t saving as many different materials as we are now,” said Benjamin. “We were connectors. We were facilitating commercial reuse but not on an industrial scale in most cases.”
The opportunity now, he said, is to see common, everyday things that have been going to landfills be reused and kept out of landfills.
“The real problem — and opportunity — is in the commercial and industrial space, where Burns & McDonnell operates,” he said. “Millions of square feet of office space are being renovated each year, and things like carpet tile, doors and ceiling tiles typically go to landfill unless we facilitate getting them into a reuse center.”
One company’s trash…
Benjamin noted that education is an essential element of his job, because few people realize how much of the material that businesses tend to throw away is not only usable but actually in good condition.
He cited carpet tile as a prime example. People tend to walk in the same paths over and over again, so while a row of tiles down the center of a hallway may be heavily worn, the tiles on either side of that path are often in great condition.
“About 60-70% of the carpet can be reused after simply being vacuumed and steam-cleaned,” Benjamin said. “And a similar solution is available for nearly every material that is used in commercial or industrial construction.”
Aside from being environmentally responsible, reusing construction materials is cost-effective, Benjamin said.
“How much money a facility can save depends on a number of factors,” he said. “One factor is how much it costs [in a given area] to send a product to landfill.”
Other disposal options include recycling (usually through burning in a waste-to-energy operation) and reuse. Depending on the materials and condition, reuse materials can cost 15-50% less than new materials, Benjamin noted.
In addition to helping companies that are planning new construction or renovation save money and boost their sustainability by procuring and using reclaimed building materials, Burns & McDonnell’s global reuse services can also help companies that are renovating or dismantling a facility.
“We work with office furniture companies, equipment clearinghouses, and reuse centers to find a home for much of the building materials, processing and packaging equipment, and furnishings,” said Benjamin. “Putting those items into the reuse system gives them positive value, instead of the negative value they have when a company has to pay removal and disposal costs.”
