One of the major contributors to the fast filling up of landfills is the waste created by building and demolition.
As a responsible construction business, you may have a proper waste disposal strategy put in place.
However, even though there are laws governing waste disposal in both big cities like Montreal and Laval as well as the smaller ones like Kirkland and Doval, many businesses aren’t serious about proper waste disposal. They take the easy way out—dumping all the waste in a landfill.
With landfills filling up fast, we realize that it isn’t an ideal situation, don’t we?
We need to have a carefully planned waste disposal strategy in place and we need to create awareness about how harmful improper and irresponsible waste management can be for the community and the environment.
Demolition waste also contains hazardous substances like paint lead, cables, solvents, and adhesives which make its proper disposal even more important.
It’s a very serious situation that calls for immediate attention and is a raging issue in all cities, right from the major ones like Montreal to the smaller towns like Hudson. Before you proceed with your next construction or demolition project, we bring you some sustainable ways for you to dispose of your demolition waste and do your bit for protecting your city’s environment.
Sorting and Salvaging
Sorting out the waste that’s created after you have proceeded with the actual building or demolition is a fundamental action that needs to be taken. You should take the trouble of identifying items in the waste that you should recycle and items that need to be disposed of.
Once that’s done, get some skip bins and label them as follows to indicate which bin contains what.
Reusable: Items that can be reused in the next project
Hazardous Waste: Items that may cause a hazard, for example, electronics and batteries
Non-hazardous Waste: Items that pose no danger but can’t be reused either
For Review: Items that you aren’t sure which category they should be grouped under
The best way to go about disposing of the waste is to segregate the various items and put them straight into the appropriate bins.
Such systematic segregation will help you organize waste better and in the process, it’ll help you reduce scattered waste and debris quite a bit. That shall translate into less time required for cleaning up.
Reusing and Recycling
With all the waste having been properly sorted, it’s time to properly dispose of all of the hazardous and non-hazardous waste. Wait, there’s one final sorting yet to be done—the items that can be reused and the ones you’ll need to review.
Set aside items that can be used in your next project like working light bulbs, sinks, countertops, doors, etc. These are the items for reusing and they not only save you the trouble of buying new items, but they also help you save a neat amount of money.
Donate Suitable Items to Recycling Organizations and Charities
There are items you won’t be able to reuse. It’s ideal to donate them to recycling organizations or charities that would be very appreciative of your gesture.
You’ve only got to approach the organizations and ask them what kind of items they are willing to take and need. Another point to consider is whether they’ll collect the items from your site themselves or you’ll have to bring them to their premises.
In case you don’t know any such organization, we urge you to contact the local government for appropriate information about suitable organizations you can donate to. You may also enquire about the dump day schedule of the local government.
On dump days, people are encouraged to gather with items they no longer use or need. You can join them and sell some items brought from your site at a low price or even give them out for free to anyone needing them. It’s a wonderful way to show that you care.
Garage Sale
It would sure be a smart thing to do if you could make some money out of the demolition waste, more so when you’re on a tight budget. You’ll only have to dismantle the items carefully ensuring that they aren’t damaged so that people are still interested in buying them and using them gladly.
It’s a common practice in Canadian cities like Montreal, West Island, Laval, South Shore, or the small towns like Dorval, Hudson, Westmount, and others. True, it won’t get you much, but again, it’ll be a gesture much appreciated.
Approach a Professional Waste Removal Service
After everything’s done, the remaining waste still needs to be disposed of appropriately. We suggest that you approach a professional waste removal service so you can get rid of all the items that couldn’t be reused or recycled efficiently.
You would do wise to call them with enough time to spare and inform them about what kind of waste you still have. Make inquiries about how to handle the waste before they are picked up.
Yes, it’s an expensive affair, but it’s worth the money as it saves you a lot of hassle and protects you from the dangers posed by hazardous waste.
Conclusion
It can be pretty difficult and challenging to dispose of your demolition waste properly. That said, with a good waste management strategy in place, you can get rid of all the waste easily and quite fast. Thinking and acting smart is the key.
It involves meticulous planning along with properly strategized action. You should shun taking the easy approach. You may gain initially, but you should remain conscious of the benefits proper waste management holds for the future.
Landfills are filling up fast which has made proper disposal of demolition waste all the more important. Besides, building and demolition waste pose a serious threat to the environment.
Therefore, their proper disposal is absolutely vital. The sustainable ways of demolition waste removal we have suggested not only help you do your bit for the environment, but they also help you save money and avoid a lot of hassles.
