The building industry prioritizes speed, new materials, and minimal uses of labor. Even with awareness that we are over-taxing planetary resources, these preferences have made it challenging to deconstruct or recycle existing structures. Demolishing and dumping into landfills are still the norm. Change comes slowly, but we are starting to see some encouraging developments.
The widening of Highway 101 between Santa Barbara and Ventura has recycled 250,000 tons of old road into new road-base for this freeway project. The giant mound of gravel visible when driving south is pulverized old highway.
In the aftermath of the Eaton Fire in Altadena, charred debris is being reprocessed into building components. Twisted metal from fire-destroyed properties is being compacted and trucked to recycling facilities, where it is melted down and formed into new products. Steel is infinitely recyclable. Shipping containers, cars, and cans are the biggest sources for recycled steel, but construction waste is also a significant contributor. As the world’s fourth largest steel producer, the U.S. reduces its raw material input greatly by recycling 60 to 80 million tons of scrap steel annually.