As we prepare to break ground on our new construction project, we are getting bids from various haulers for debris removal.
Lots of our demolition material can be recycled. Concrete gets turned into gravel for roads, wood gets shredded into mulch (which is FREE for residents to take by the way!), and organic materials like soil and plants gets turned into fertilizer.
The City of San Diego has an incentive program to encourage recycling by charging builders like us a $1000 refundable deposit if we can prove that we recycled at least 50% of our debris. Sounds like a GREAT system right? Well not exactly . . .
Turns out that the haulers can't take more than one type of material at a time, so if you divide your trash into wood, concrete, cardboard, etc, you have to pay the haulers the full rate ($250) for each trip they take. Also, the waste removal places that receive/recycle the trash charge a separate dumping fee (~$150) for each material recycled, in addition to charging extra fee ($20-$70) if you need a receipt to show the city. WHAAAAT?!?
For our tiny 700 sf house that we are remodeling, we plan to recycle 84% of our debris, a total of 9 tons of material, and we estimate the hauling/ recycling costs will be around $1800, almost TWICE the amount of the city's recycling incentive fee.
In the end, we discovered that it is WAY easier and WAY cheaper to just throw it all in a landfill unsorted. This becomes even more apparent as the size of the project increases.
Don't worry, we haven't given up, we ARE going to recycle, because it's the right thing to do. Fortunately our clients know its important and are willing to pay what it takes to be sustainable. But after doing all the research and pricing, I think Kermit the Frog certainly had it right when he said, "Its not easy being green!".
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