Avoid the Landfill | Dealing with Waste Concrete

What is a Landfill?

A landfill is generally a place to dispose of waste material by burying it and covering it with soil. It is also a method for filling in or extending usable land. These disposal sites are designed to protect the environment from contaminants with intelligent response and control, including stopping contaminants from mixing with our soil, food, and water. For these reasons, landfills are permitted from being built in environmentally sensitive areas.

Where to dispose of your waste

There are three types of landfills designated for certain types of wastes: municipal solid waste, industrial waste, and hazardous waste.

           Municipal solid waste – designed to receive household waste.

           Industrial waste – designed to receive commercial and institutional waste.

           Hazardous waste – designed to receive only hazardous waste and no solid waste.

Industrial waste landfills, specifically the construction and demolition type, contribute significantly to the United States’ waste stream. In 2018, the United States generated 600 million tons of construction and demolition materials, and 24% was sent to landfills throughout the country. Per the United States Environmental Protection Agency, about 50 percent of materials dumped into landfills are concrete and demolition debris materials.

Landfill Versus Recycling

When a person or company disposes of their waste concrete at a landfill, a disposal fee is charged based on the weight. There is also a limit on available space when dumping in landfills. A solution to the over-dumping of materials at landfills is recycling. Recycling sites allow material to be resourced and reused into new material.

When companies dispose of their waste concrete at aggregate recycling sites, heavy waste is eliminated from polluting our landfills and allows them to produce new, upcycled concrete materials for years of projects to come. Landfills are limited on space and require a paid fee for dumping permission. Aggregate recycling allows companies to dispose of their waste for no additional cost and will enable companies to apply for certain tax breaks.

Construction and demolition debris landfills (C&D) are specifically designed to accept construction and demolition materials. Types of C&D debris produced during construction, renovations, and demolitions of buildings, roads, and bridges are allowed.

Examples of C&D materials are:

The collected material must be separated to be able to dispose of at a recycling site. This also allows the separated material to reach its full salvage capability. With 90 to 100% of reclaimed asphalt now possible to be completed recycled, it is essential to take the proper steps to ensure the material is separate and not compromised.

Construction on the rise

As the years go by, construction waste continues to rise. From 1990 to 2018, construction and demolition waste increased 342%. Construction and demolition waste alone take up to 3 billion sq yards of landfill space every year. When a company disposes waste concrete at aggregate recycling sites, they eliminate this heavy waste from being disposed of in a landfill and help create new recycled concrete.

How CRUSH can help avoid landfills and fees

With construction continuing to rise, the amount of waste materials will also increase. CRUSH has locations throughout the Central Florida area that accept waste concrete at no cost. CRUSH works hard to limit the amount of construction and demolition material going to landfills and repurposes that material into a new product for future use.

The best part, CRUSH supply picks up your waste concrete for free. Our goal is to get your leftover materials back into a renewable supply chain that rewards our clients, consumers, and the planet. Sound good? Contact us today to learn more.