Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2016 - 10

Hot Topic

If Walls Could Talk
Construction recycling inspires designers
to think twice before trashing materials

$5,000 or more on removal and disposal, and the
company has helped divert more than 22 million
pounds of waste from landfills since 2005.
"Our belief is that consumers who are remodeling their spaces love to know that they can help the
environment - globally and locally - by not adding
to landfill waste and potentially helping a family,"
said Wilson.
She advises to first simply ask clients if they want
to act sustainably. In her experience, the answer has
always been positive as long as there is no extra cost
involved. In many instances, designers also gain by
receiving referral fees from recycling companies or
by saving those materials for other projects.
"I really think clients love to know they are doing
[something] good with their waste," said Ruber,
adding that they also gain financially by selling
things like old doors or cabinets online."At our firm,
we don't give an alternative but simply state that
recycling is our commitment, and we will dispose
of things in the best manner possible. Our clients
have always thanked us for that."
COORDINATING WITH A RECYCLING TEAM

ABOVE In Oregon, construc-

tion and demolition debris
constitutes 26 percent of all
landfill waste. Neighboring
Washington is as high as 35
percent. Photo courtesy of
The Rebuilding Center.

IT'S NO SECRET THAT HUMANS IMPACT the planet. How designers can help -
along with using eco-friendly materials - starts with the deconstruction itself.
"Construction waste is often salvageable, from door knobs and cabinetry
handles to larger items such as countertops, tubs, doors and windows," said
designer Robin Wilson of New York-based Robin Wilson Home."Recycling
or maintaining sustainability in your design business gives you a story to tell
visitors and clients. Plus, you are helping the global crisis of managing waste."
According to the U.S.EPA,170 million tons of building-related construction
and demolition debris were generated in the U.S. during the last yearly report
taken in 2003, with 39 percent coming from residential sources. On top of that,
an estimated one billion square feet of buildings are demolished and replaced
with new construction each year.
"I think with some simple steps we can change the statistics around," said
designer Michelle Ruber of Portland, Ore.-based Encircle Design and Build.
"Recycling tells a story, and each piece has a history - and people love to tell it."

CONVINCING CLIENTS

BY ERINN WALDO

While recycling might take a little more effort, it benefits everyone involved.
Clients can receive significant tax credits for donating kitchen or bath materials,
and they also save on disposal costs.These costs are based on the amount they
throw away, so the more clients toss instead of recycle, the more they pay. According to recycling center Renovation Angel, designers can save their clients

For a designer, recycling materials from a project
requires good timing - at least two weeks before
deconstruction - and often cooperation with a recycling company.These companies offer services that
range from simple donation take-ins, like Habitat
for Humanity ReStore, to both removing and selling a kitchen or bathroom.
"The most important thing a designer can do is
bring us into the project as early as possible," said
Jodi Murphy, president of La Grange Park, Ill.based Murco Recycling. "That way, we are able to
maximize projects and handle a lot of the tasks a
designer would otherwise be responsible for."
In this case, the designer would just need to
educate the client about potential disposal options: donation, disposal or sale. The recycling
company can then redistribute materials as needed, often cataloging them and selling online. The
sooner a company is brought in, the quicker it
can research the inventory and put it up for sale
online - sometimes even being able to remove the
materials and immediately place them directly in
a buyer's home.
"Not everyone can afford a Wolf range, a SubZero refrigerator or a clad-wood casement window,
but when we get them in, priced at 40-60 percent
off of retail,suddenly these materials become accessible to many more people,"said Stephen Reichard,
executive director of the Portland,Ore.-based 
recycling company,The ReBuilding Center.

Kitchen & Bath Business / MAY-JUNE 2016 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)

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Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2016

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