Pollution Prevention Opportunities in Demolition

October 1990
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Pollution Prevention Opportunities in Demolition
Helpful information from U.S. EPA Region III Philadelphia, PA
October 1990

What Can You Do?

This fact sheet lists specific pollution prevention practices that have been successful at a number of demolition operations. Use this fact sheet along with the "Pollution Prevention Opportunities" fact sheet to gather ideas on how to reduce your wastes.

Modify the Approach

• Instead of demolishing sound structures, retrofit and retain as long as possible.
  
• Remove lead paint.
  
• Replace lead waterpipes with copper or steel pipes.
  
• In plumbing that is less than five years old, replace lead solder with tin-based solder, since there is a possibility that leaching of the lead is occurring. In older pipes, the lead carbonate that forms inside the pipes keeps the lead from leaching.
  
• Purchase materials from manufacturers who practice Pollution Prevention.

Improve Operations

• Inventory, remove and properly dispose of all hazardous and non-hazardous materials.
  
• Remove freon from refrigerators and air conditioners so that it does not escape to the atmosphere.
  
• Remove controls that contain PCB's such as those on refrigerators, fluorescent ballasts and dryers.
  
• Ventilate workers' areas that may be contaminated with radon, particulates, or gases, and be certain that pollution problems are not transferred outside.
  
• Inventory and remove asbestos containing materials.
  
• Leave as many trees and shrubs as possible and take measures to control soil erosion.
  
• Hire only trained personnel.

Reuse & Recycle

• Inventory and remove reusable and recyclable materials.
  
• Reuse or sell for reuse: bricks and blocks, doors and windows, plumbing, electrical fixtures and wiring, etc.
  
• Sell for recycling: glass, metals, plastic, wood, etc.
  
• If it does not contain metal, crush old concrete and use it as an aggregate or base material. Mix old asphalt removed from roads into new asphalt (up to 30%).
  
• Reuse an existing asphalt pavement by using a single step process which heats, injects petroleum distillates, grinds, mixes, and rerolls.
  
• For those waste materials that cannot be reused or recycled, use secure treatment or incineration. If treatment and incineration facilities are not available, then dispose of these wastes at a regulated facility.