Editor's Focus

Quiet but Effective

Recycling as an act of environmental stewardship came into prominence with Earth Day celebrations and the rush to collect newspapers, cans and bottles that began in the 1970s.

But long before the first curbside recycling program was created, manufacturers, refiners and traders recognized the economic value of obtaining, processing and re-using items that otherwise would be considered waste.

Without the need for government grants or tax breaks, steelmakers, metal smelters, precious metals refiners and paper makers created the demand side of a market for scrap metals and some paper grades that has grown into several thriving industry segments supporting thousands of business owners and employees.

There weren’t a lot of Earth Day rallies and press conferences held as these industries quietly established themselves within America’s industrial infrastructure.

Is the recycling of construction and demolition (C&D) material heading toward that same demand-driven scenario?

The answer seems to be an unflinching, "It depends." Whether there are steady profits to be made from processing and re-selling C&D debris depends on which materials are involved, where the material is being generated, and how far it has to be transported.

Metals generated at C&D sites have been recovered for some time, with scrap dealers happy to welcome steel beams, copper piping and aluminum siding into their yards.

In an increasing number of urban areas, concrete crushing has become a viable enterprise. Companies like Big City Crushed Concrete of Dallas, profiled in our debut issue, have found both a steady stream of material to crush and reliable end markets to buy their product.

Mobile recycling equipment for both concrete and asphalt is increasingly present at major highway construction sites, as the on site recycling of torn up roadway solves a disposal problem while also providing suitable road base material.

In most other C&D debris streams, the end market situation is far less stable. Recyclers of waste wood, asphalt shingles, drywall and other materials have made gains in the 1990s, but the progress has been far from linear.

What happens next? Will market forces push the recycling of C&D debris to become an established way of doing business in both the construction and demolition industries? Will state and local legislatures try to push the industry forward with mandates and solid waste diversion goals? Or will landfilling remain a cost-effective way for many contractors to deal with their debris streams?

There are plenty of interested parties anxious to see how these questions will be answered over the next several decades. It is for them that The Recycling Today Media Group has launched C&D Recycler.

The C&D material recycling industry has, like many of its fellow scrap and recycling industries, quietly but effectively moved beyond its initial development stages.

A growing number of entrepreneurs from a variety of backgrounds—construction, demolition, excavating, and municipal recycling to name a few—have opted to enter the C&D recycling segment. Similarly, a growing number of equipment makers are fabricating machines specifically for the C&D debris recycling industry.

There is no shortage of information to share in this growing industry. Through company profiles, market reports and equipment updates, we will provide a steady stream of news and ideas. And maybe, while we’re at it, we’ll turn up the volume just a notch on an industry that has quietly demonstrated its lasting presence in the marketplace.