Construction & Demolition Waste: A Recoverable Stream

Building and tearing down creates a huge share of total debris — but most of it is reusable or recyclable.

Concrete, bricks, wood, metal, glass, and gypsum make up the bulk of construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Because the materials are bulky and separable, C&D is one of the most recoverable streams when handled deliberately.

What Can Be Recovered

• Concrete and masonry — crushed into aggregate for roads and new build.
• Wood — reused as timber, chipped for board, or used for energy.
• Metal — steel and copper are high-value and easy to recycle.
• Gypsum board — can be reprocessed if kept separate from wet waste.

Deconstruction vs Demolition

Demolition smashes everything together, mixing materials and sending most to landfill. Deconstruction — carefully taking a building apart — keeps components intact so they can be reused or cleanly recycled. It costs more in labour but recovers far more value.

Practical Steps

• Separate streams on site — a mixed skip loses most of the value.
• Salvage doors, fixtures, and clean timber for reuse.
• Use crushed concrete as sub-base instead of virgin aggregate.

Related Reading

See metal recycling and waste-to-energy, and check C&D items with our Garbage Search.

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