The Healey-Driscoll Administration recently awarded $950,000 in Recycling Business Development Grants (RBDG) to six recycling companies in the state. The RBDG program helps businesses tackle difficult-to-recycle materials, such as contaminated food materials, construction and demolition wood, and bulky rigid plastics. The funds will help these businesses expand their operations and capacity to process recyclable materials which supports…
RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts presents a case study and instructional video featuring a Structure Tone interior renovation project in Boston that demonstrates source separation of construction and demolition materials. Structure Tone aims to model waste diversion processes that can be replicated at other construction projects to keep C&D materials from going for disposal, reduce carbon emissions,…
Learn how Home City Development, Inc. (HCDI), a non-profit real estate developer based in Springfield, worked with RecyclingWorks to salvage materials for reuse during their renovation of the historic Elias Brookings School.
Homeowners Rehab Incorporated (HRI) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that produces and preserves affordable housing throughout Massachusetts. In 2017, HRI purchased Matheson Apartments in Downtown Worcester with plans to transform the 60,000 square foot 70-unit complex into efficient, accessible, and affordable housing. Prior to starting renovations, RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts (RecyclingWorks) and Linnean Solutions helped HRI…
Construction projects can create a significant amount of waste, filling up dumpsters and costing money in tipping fees. However, there are a number of outlets that exist for usable building materials extracted from a site before demolition begins. Common casualties of construction, such as usable furniture, fixtures like cabinets and toilets, lumber and windows and…
Home City Development, Inc. (HCDI) is a non-profit affordable housing developer in the Springfield region. HCDI purchased the Elias Brookings School in 2018, which had been left vacant since the 2011 tornado that ravaged the city. Before beginning renovations on the vacant 50,000 square foot school building, HCDI saw an opportunity to donate and recycle…
As reported by the Taunton Gazette, The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) recently awarded $600,000 in grants to four companies to improve the infrastructure for recycling construction and demolition (C&D), plastics, and mixed recyclables. This funding is part of the MassDEP Recycling Business Development Grant (RBDG) program, which supports marketplace growth for eligible materials…
The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) exhibits contemporary visual and performing arts in a converted factory complex located in North Adams. The museum complex includes a brewery, two restaurants, a publisher, gallery spaces, and several offices. Throughout the year, MASS MoCA holds multiple concerts and music festivals, which help the museum draw in more…
The US EPA estimates that approximately 500 million tons of demolition waste are sent to landfills each year, yet much of the ‘waste’ is reusable material. Over the last several decades, a growing network of businesses are realizing the significant opportunities in reclaiming valuable resources through the careful disassembly of buildings. A recent Ensia article…
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) recently awarded more than $1 million in grant funding to help six recycling companies in the state improve operations and expand the infrastructure needed to address hard-to-recycle materials. This round of Recycling Business Development Grants (RBDG) will help recyclers more effectively handle and process glass, wood, plastics, and…
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection recently awarded nearly $1 million in Recycling Business Development Grants (RBDG) to six recycling companies in the state. The RBDG program helps businesses tackle difficult-to-recycle materials, such as contaminated food materials, construction and demolition wood, and bulky rigid plastics. The funds will help these businesses expand their operations and…
Last spring, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (Mass DHCD) asked RecyclingWorks for help diverting materials from disposal when renovating its properties. RecyclingWorks assisted Mass DHCD with a project involving window, roofing, and siding replacement at seven residential properties in Bourne. The project included replacement of 147 vinyl windows. All of the windows,…
The Healthy Building Network and StopWaste released the “Optimizing Recycling: Post-Consumer Polyethylene in Building Products” report. This report examines the hazards, supply chains, and economic impacts of using post-consumer polyethylene from products such as beverage containers as a feedstock streams for building products. The report outlines recommendations for manufacturers, recyclers, consumers, and government agencies to…
A recent Zero Waste Zone post describes a new partnership between the U.S. Green Business Council (USGBC) and the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council (USZWBC). The U.S. Green Business Council administers the LEED certification program which recognizes buildings for their sustainable building design, construction, operations, and maintenance. The U.S. Zero Waste Business Council offers a…
A recent Newburyport News article featured developer, George Haseltine’s recent deconstructed a home in Newburyport. Haseltine diverted the lumber from disposal, instead donating it to EcoBuilding Bargains for resale., Haseltine could receive a $84,500 tax credit for this donation if he makes a profit from the construction. EcoBuilding Bargains sells the used building materials at…
RecyclingWorks is developing best management practices for building professionals to increase recycling and reuse of construction and demolition (C&D) materials. RecyclingWorks is coordinating a series of stakeholder meetings that will inform the development of this guidance. Through these meetings, RecyclingWorks is learning about reuse and recycling of these materials from the experience of contractors, architects,…
RecyclingWorks is developing best management practices on contracting for hauling services for trash, recycling, and organics for businesses and institutions. RecyclingWorks is coordinating a stakeholder engagement process that will inform the development of this guidance. This approach is similar to the creation of the 2015 Food Donation Guidance Document. RecyclingWorks is hosting three stakeholder meetings…
