Construction and Demolition

Building Material Reuse & Recycling

Overview

We may toss our water bottles in the recycling bin, or our food scraps in the compost bin but what is the end of life for buildings? Buildings are made up of hundreds of materials like wood, stone, plastics, metals, composites, concrete and more. So, what happens to those materials when a building needs to be renovated or taken down and rebuilt?

The average house that is demolished or knocked down, will create more waste than one resident will in their entire lifetime!

When a house or commercial building is demolished all of these materials get thrown into the same dumpster and buried at the landfill, never to be reused or recovered.

Construction and deconstruction materials (C&D) make up about one-third of the “waste” Boulder County discards in the landfill each year, or over 100,000 tons.

Many of these items can be recycled, including corrugated cardboard, metals, mercury devices (thermostats), wood, and aggregates such as asphalt, brick and concrete. Many products can be reused, including appliances, cabinets, doors, fixtures, flooring, clean lumber, windows, and wood.

Building Material C&D Resources

• There are many options locally and in the region for building material recovery. Options include contracting with a deconstruction company, hauling companies or self-hauling material.
• Universal Waste Terms Guide

Boulder County Code Promotes Reuse & Recycling

In unincorporated Boulder County, building demolition is prohibited. All buildings must be deconstructed.

Deconstruction is the process of dismantling a structure to maximize the recovery of reusable and recyclable materials. Deconstruction can include things like unscrewing fixtures, unscrewing or removing nails from studs to recover lumber, and pulling out fixtures in their entirely, like windows or lighting.

Boulder County also has requirements for construction jobsite recycling and waste reduction.

• Building Code: Please reference Boulder County’s Building Code webpage for the most up-to-date building codes.
• Documentation: You may be required to fill out the Boulder County Jobsite Construction Recycling Checklist or Deconstruction Checklist, depending on your project and permit.

Please note: If you are located in a city or town, please check with your municipality on relevant permitting or regulatory requirements.

The table below summarizes the current Boulder County code requirement.

Construction, Deconstruction & Household Material Resources

Whether renovating a kitchen, building a new garage, or deconstructing a whole house, this resource guide has been developed to help you find a contractor, a hauler, or a material drop-off location. The goal is to keep as many building materials circulating in our local economy to prevent landfilling, reduce emissions, and increase in affordability of materials.

This guide is meant to provide residents, contractors, and other parties with information on what to do with building materials at the end of their life. The guide is split up by the types of services available, from full-service contractors to haulers to drop- off locations.

Regulatory Notes

If constructing, deconstructing, or renovating a building in unincorporated Boulder County, you will need to reference the Boulder County Building Codes for requirements, and you may need to fill out the C&D Recycling Checklist in order to receive your building permit.

If you are located in a city or town, please check with your municipality on relevant permitting or regulatory requirements.

Building Materials Terms List

For a full list of building materials terms and definitions please check out Building Materials Terms List page.

Disclaimer

Boulder County does not endorse any of the products or services referenced in this guide, which are for informational purposes only. Boulder County makes no claim about the accuracy of the information provided. Please reach out to the organizations listed directly to verify the information before bringing materials that may or may not be accepted.

If you spot a mistake or omission in our resource guide, please contact us at resourceconservation@bouldercounty.gov.

Deconstruction Contractors

Deconstruction Contractors: If you are taking down a whole building or conducting a major renovation project, a deconstruction contractor may be able to walk through the site and let you know which building materials are salvageable. Deconstruction workers will work to unfasten, unglue, and dismantle buildings to maximize materials recovered for reuse and diversion away from landfills.

In general, if looking to hire a contractor, confirm that they are a deconstruction company, not a demolition company. A demolition company is one that will demolish the building and put all the material in roll-offs without salvaging anything.

The following companies off deconstruction services in the Boulder County area:

Haulers

Haulers: Boulder County requires haulers collecting and transporting discarded materials operating in the county to be licensed. Haulers vary in the materials they accept, types of containers and trucks, and where they bring materials for reuse, recycling, or disposal.

Hauling companies may provide: a) dumpsters or roll-offs for source-separated materials (only one type of material per bin), b) co-mingled (multiple types of material in one bin, like wood, cardboard, and metal) for recycling or landfilling, or c) box trucks or other methods to move things like furniture and cabinets for reuse.

To find a licensed hauler in Boulder County, please see the Boulder County Licensed Haulers list.

Drop-off Facilities

Many businesses, non-profits, and other entities will accept building materials for reuse or recycling for free or at a cost. Acceptable materials, material condition, and fees vary by facility. Some of these entities can pick up and haul the material away to their facility for free or at a cost.
Best Practice: Call or contact the facility ahead of time to ensure they can take your materials. It can save you an unnecessary trip.

Multiple Material Facilities

The table below lists facilities that accept a variety of materials for recycling or reuse. The table is sorted by city. It also lists which facilities may pick up or haul materials for free or at a cost

Specialized Material Facilities

Specialized material facilities are those that only accept one or two types of categories of materials like scrap metal recyclers, yard trimming recycling, or aggregate recyclers.