University of Massachusetts Amherst
OP-19: Construction and Demolition Waste Diversion

At UMass Amherst, the bulk of building material waste is generated by larger building projects which have been awarded to outside contractors. In these projects the outside contractors are responsible for the disposal of all construction and demolition material. The UMass Green Building Guidelines state: Construction Waste Management Recycling is a high priority on campus. However, waste produced by construction activities is not sorted on campus, rather, it is the responsibility of the contractor to properly dispose of construction and demo waste. It is the University’s position that, due to the location of the campus and the availability of local waste contractors who can recycle and track construction waste, a minimum target of 75% should be met by all project teams. We estimate that for every 1,000 tons of construction waste generated, our contractors are recycling, donating, or otherwise recovering 75% of it, i.e. 750 tons. WE estimate that 10% of construction waste is dealt with internally (i.e. not by outside contractor who are accountable to the terms of the contract they sign with us). Assuming, conservatively, that only 30% of our internal construction waste is dealt appropriately, the total tonnage % is 30 and the amount landfilled or incinerated is 70.

The UMass has no jurisdiction over the generation and management of construction and demolition wastes on the Amherst campus. UMass contractors are responsible under their contract with the university to recycle 75% or more of the weighted material generated by the work. Exact numbers are not known due to the amount of construction and the amount of contractors at the university. The sole exception is a small quantity of waste materials generated by the Alterations Dept. which handles minor renovations. Alterations Dept. wastes are delivered to the UMass Waste Recovery and Transfer Facility and are subject to our sorting requirements. Brick and concrete are sorted for recycling. All types of scrap wood are collected and sent for energy recovery at regional waste-to-energy plants. All metals are recycled as well.