One hundred trained in construction debris recycling

By Shannon Delaney, WasteCap Wisconsin Communications Director
Published in The Daily Reporter, August 7, 2007

The growing need for professionals trained in construction debris waste management and recycling reaches a milestone last month as 20 more trainees become WasteCap accredited professionals. After three public trainings and various private trainings, WasteCap Wisconsin’s Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling training program has educated and accredited more than 100 professionals from all corners of the United States on how to recycle debris generated on construction projects.

“This is a very beneficial program that should be utilized everywhere,” an attendee from the most recent training session, which took place at the Building Materials Reuse Association’s Decon ‘07 conference in Madison, said. “I find the information valuable, and I will keep it within arms’ reach in my work area.”

The training program is the first of its kind in Wisconsin to teach professionals in the construction, demolition and waste-management industries the skills needed to develop, manage, monitor, document and promote successful construction and demolition debris recycling programs.

"I'm so pleased to see the interest in construction and demolition recycling training and accreditation growing,” said Jenna Kunde, WasteCap Wisconsin’s director of strategic development and a trainer for the program. “WasteCap accredited professionals are referring others to the trainings, communities including Milwaukee and Chicago are hosting trainings, and WasteCap accredited professionals are taking what they've learned and implementing successful construction and demolition debris recycling projects.”

Recycling spikes

According to Kunde, one company tracked by WasteCap achieved an average 79.5 percent recycling rate on projects after being trained, when previously, they had done little to no recycling.

As the industry continues to move toward sustainable development, WasteCap’s program was created to help professionals learn about opportunities that will allow them to meet reuse and recycling requirements while reducing disposal costs. Job-site waste reduction, reuse and recycling allows contractors and owners to use project funds for their projects rather than for waste disposal. Contractors who know how to recycle will be at a market advantage with the advent of the sustainable movement marked by the governor’s 2006 mandate for green building on state projects, Madison and Milwaukee’s green programs, and the growing interest in LEED-certified projects throughout the state.

“I do not understand why a contractor would not want to recycle," said Heidi Brandt of HMB Contractors, one of the first WasteCap accredited professionals. “It not only makes sense, it makes money.”

WasteCap received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2004 to develop a comprehensive training program and toolkit. As a pilot project in 2005, the training program was rolled out and tested at three sponsor sites - JH Findorff & Son, Oscar J. Boldt Construction and The Jansen Group. In 2006, the U.S. EPA and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources provided additional funding to test to impact of the training and establish online documentation of job-site recycling results.

The number of trained professionals in these industries continues to grow as WasteCap prepares to train 100 more professionals by the end of the 2007. The next training session takes place on Aug.16 in Milwaukee. For more information on the public training program and private training sessions, visit http://www.wastecapwi.org/training. WasteCap accredited professionals and their contact information are listed at http://www.wastecapwi.org/trainedpros.

For more waste recycling, reusing and reduction news, read our current email bulletin at http://www.wastecapwi.org/bulletin_archive.htm.