YOUR HOUSE, YOUR RULES! Ten Ways To Ensure Your Home Is Properly Recycled & Your Construction Project Doesn’t Generate Needless Waste

Last week I posted 10 tips for building professionals to reuse and recycle materials. This week I have tips for homeowners who are looking to remodel and reduce waste.

1. Plan ahead to save (ReUse and Recycle). Failure to plan could needlessly cost you.
2. Do the Research & Take the Lead Yourself: don’t rely on the professionals to find out what can and cannot be recycled and reused – Industry professionals are ultimately their to service your needs.
3. As part of your hiring criteria, interview and hire general contractors you know to have a permanent and well developed waste management plan for all their project sites.
4. Be Assertive. State your preference clearly where diversion practices are concerned.
5. Check contractor references: Ask about his/her “service” in addition to time and cost of work performed; how orderly did the contractor keep their project site? Does the reference or did the referral witness or otherwise have familiarity with this aspect of the contractor’s service?
6. Have recycle bins available for your contractor. Keep in mind that you will have extra bodies eating and drinking daily for a long period of time. Can your bins handle it? If not, take steps to prepare and insist they be utilized, such as posting simple signs saying what waste goes where and get the commitment of your contractor to take up the lead and follow through with the plan.\
7. Consider a Deconstruction Solution for your project. It’s not appropriate for every project – just the majority. A Deconstruction Solution could be your single biggest opportunity to save financial assets for your project and physical assets for others.
8. Take advantage of tax breaks available to those that donate to organizations such as Deconstruction & Reuse Network, and/or Habitat for Humanity.
9. Stay involved. This doesn’t mean micro managing your contractor. But remember – its your project and therefore your rules.
10. Be A Community Leader – tell your friends about your recycling initiatives and encourage the same – Help your neighbors to Think Outside the Roll-Off!