The old must give way to the new, so goes an old maxim. But in the world of environmental conservancy giving away the old often burdens the earth with trash and landfills. It is no different for the construction industry. The construction industry thrives on the two pillars of construction and demolition. It builds the new on the foundations of the old. This is where conservancy faces yet another challenge.

According to the reuse advocacy website Waste to Wealth, the construction and demolition (C&D) industry disposes of almost 65 million tons of waste annually, much of which is reusable or recyclable. With demolition tons of re-usable materials like timber, bricks, and metal end up as landfill fodder. This is an absolute waste because some components are valuable (like lumber, metals ad even glass) and can be easily recycled. Agreed, demolition is a relatively inexpensive way to bring a building down but it generates tons of waste, some of which may be of more value than when they were initially used.

As against demolition, the latest practice of 'Deconstruction' is now gaining ground.

Deconstruction as against demolition offers a way to sustainably harvest a building for raw materials and in effect reduces waste and increases the viability of the materials by bringing them back into the cycle. As against the 65 million tons of waste generated annually courtesy demolition, nearly 24 million tons of materials could be reused and 6 million tons recycled by following deconstruction.

Again, deconstruction has other positive rewards too. Deconstruction not only reduces our dependence on exploited resources but also reduces the carbon footprint because new materials need not be manufactured from scratch. It helps the local industry as deconstruction is mostly a locale specific activity. It reduces the burden on transportation and provides jobs at the local level. But the greatest benefit could be its salutary effect on landfills as construction and demolition (C&D) waste contributes approximately 20% to the solid waste of landfills.

Inherent disadvantages of course remain like the cost and time factor of deconstruction. Deconstruction could take many man-hours whereas demolition takes just a day. But through proper planning and implementation these can be extenuated. Reusing the materials ion the new site, selling off the reclaimed materials, availing income tax write-offs by donating them to non-profit groups, and nullifying landfill “tipping fees” are just some of the ways in which the cost of deconstruction can be made comparable to demolition.

Modern initiatives are gaining ground which are making deconstruction not only viable but also attractive. The U.S. Green Building Council offers incentives by way of a credit system. Such programs enable a new building to reuse old materials and get a green certification. A few organizations are now part of the efforts to bring deconstruction into public consciousness. Organizations like...

Buffalo Reuse in the city of Buffalo has 'deconstructed' 25 derelict houses. They plan to target 1000 a year. With just two home deconstructions, they kept 30 tons of debris out of landfills, and now have 10 tons of lumber for sale at their ReSOURCE shop of salvaged goods.

Beyond Waste in Northern California has been in the business for five years and they take a more holistic view of the deconstruction practice. They not only salvage but also give it back to the community as reusable merchandise through their store.

ReStore, aptly named, takes in salvaged and surplus materials and sells them back to the public at low prices.

These are just some of the retail examples which are proving that their is money to be made and saved through the practice of deconstruction.

Hopefully with a more widespread base, deconstruction would establish a new maxim, that the old need not give way...it can even replace the new.

Source: Celsias.com
Wikipedia
Image: Flickr.com