Non-asbestos remodeling waste can be recycled

Hauling your remodeling waste to the recycling and disposal station can seem like the easiest option. But many items may be useful to someone else, or even reused on your own project if the material is asbestos-free.

By planning your activities and carefully removing materials to retain their value (deconstructing rather than demolishing), you can increase the likelihood of a future life for these materials, beyond the landfill.

A little sweat equity can go a long way toward reducing your disposal expenses. If you can reuse materials on your own project, you will save money by not having to buy new. In some cases, you can also make money by selling your unwanted building materials, such as old hardware or a pedestal sink.

For optimum results, take the following steps to manage remodeling project materials:

1. reuse in place (leaving material as-is, repairing, refinishing, or re-facing, etc.)
2. salvage and reuse (on the project, in the home, sell, donate, or trade),
3. recycling, and
4. proper disposal of what's left.

Nearly all projects involve a bit of each. The green goal is to get as much of your materials into the top categories, while minimizing the amount that ends up at the landfill.

Courtesy of http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0704017.pdf

Other helpful links:

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Asbestos attorney