Central to the success of any construction and demolition (C&D) diversion ordinance is having adequate C&D recycling facilities in place and to know if the recycling facilities and markets that are currently in place will be able to handle the amount of C&D waste and the types of projects that you hope to target. If the existing facilities in your area do not currently have the capacity to handle this amount or this type of waste, you should address this issue prior to adopting and implementing your ordinance.
Also, it is important to identify markets for this C&D debris to help ensure its diversion from disposal.
Once you have identified the C&D recycling facilities in your jurisdiction or area, it may facilitate compliance with your ordinance if you have “certified” which of the facilities are known to divert at least the minimum percentage of C&D material that you require in your ordinance. Some jurisdictions have developed a process for certifying recycling facilities that handle C&D material—a good example is the City of San Jose. In the certification process, a jurisdiction verifies the diversion rate at a particular facility, and if the facility meets certain criteria, like meeting the diversion rate or rates required in the jurisdiction’s ordinance, they will be added to the jurisdiction’s “certified facilities” list.
A certified facilities list can facilitate compliance with the ordinance by allowing contractors to simply verify that they took their C&D materials to one or more of those facilities, instead of having to produce individual weight tickets from the various facilities they may have used. Such a list should be included in the educational material you provide to contractors about how they can comply with your ordinance.
The City of San Jose has an example list of certified facilities and deconstruction, recovery, and reuse listings.
C&D Diversion Guide Home | Plan for Education and Outreach Activities
For more information contact: Local Assistance & Market Development, LAMD@calrecycle.ca.gov