Decon '11: Recycling and Reuse

Attending Decon '11

Reusing building materials is an increasingly pressing topic as the global recession continues and people begin to notice greenhouse gas emissions caused by the production of new building materials (see “A 2030 Challenge for Building Product Manufacturers,” EBN March 2011). Next week, I will attend the Building Materials Reuse Association’s annual DECON Conference—a national conference on deconstruction, reuse, and recycling. The 2011 conference will kick off in New Haven, Connecticut on Monday May 16th. (For more details you can view the event on the BuildingGreen calendar here and also check out the event website: bmra.org/home.) Deliberate deconstruction can ultimately reduce or eliminate our need for virgin materials (see “Deconstruction: Back to the Future for Buildings?,” EBN May 2000), and DECON ’11 promises to enhance our understanding of the deconstruction process and reuse applications—including salvaging building materials after a natural disaster, one of the areas I’m hoping to learn more about.

Educational Sessions

This year, four educational session tracks are offered: sustainable communities, deconstruction, materials reuse, and construction and demolition (C&D) recycling. I will attend a session on measuring the impact of reused building materials, which will assess the life-cycle impacts of deconstructable building products—an issue raised in the recent EBN feature “Re-Framing Sustainability: Green Structural Engineering,” April 2011—and reclaimed lumber use. There is also a panel discussion—Designing with Reused Materials I—which I will attend to better understand building material reuse and its challenges and opportunities.

New Orleans—A Case Study

The Deconstruction Case Studies I session highlights the Rebuilding Together New Orleans’ (RTNO) Deconstruction & Salvage Program initiated after Hurricane Katrina. The program’s mission is to “reduce construction and demolition waste from entering landfills, provide affordable salvaged building materials to the public through commerce, and advocate for a sustainable alternative to conventional demolition.” I hope to learn how this program can be replicated in other disaster areas and beyond. The second half of this session is focused on non-profit deconstruction, specifically how Habitat for Humanity of Wake County, North Carolina has utilized deconstruction in its work. I have not previously heard of Habitat homes being built with reclaimed materials, and am excited to hear of any obstacles and successes.

Check Back Soon

Stay tuned next week for more blog posts about the sessions, speakers, and any interesting tidbits I come across!