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Construction and Demolition Waste

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​​​The revised Construction and Demolition – Waste Reduction and Recycling Toolkit is now available online.

PDF File Construction and Demolition – Waste Reduction and Recycling Toolkit​

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Material from the construction, demolition and renovation of buildings makes up one-third of our region’s waste.

Metro Vancouver aims to increase the recycling rate of the construction, renovation and demolition industry to 80% by diverting recyclable materials, such as wood from disposal.

Construction waste

Construction waste is clean and easy to sort at each stage of construction. For example, most wood waste is produced during framing and cardboard packaging is generated when interior finishes and appliances are installed.

With planning, new construction projects in the region have been able to reuse or recycle more than 75% of their potential waste materials, saving builders money on disposal costs and keeping usable materials out of the landfill.

Renovation and demolition waste

Here are some planning tips to consider before any demolition or renovation work begins:

  1. List all materials that may need recycling or disposal.
  2. Ensure a hazardous materials survey is completed by a qualified professional.
  3. For renovation projects, look for opportunities to avoid complete replacement. Updates such as resurfacing with new paint or repairing in-place can produce similar outcomes.
  4. Identify salvage opportunities before the materials are removed. Ask a salvage contractor or reuse store to help you figure out which materials can be reused.
  5. Identify opportunities to recycle materials that are not reusable. Find facilities on Metro Vancouver Recycles that accept the materials so they can be moved off site quickly following demolition.
  6. Find facilities that take your non-hazardous leftover job-site materials for disposal. Landfills accept a variety of materials but some are prohibited and restricted at local disposal facilities. Check with the facility before delivering your residuals.​​​
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Alternatives to demolition

There are several alternatives to demolition including adaptive reuse and house moving, deconstruction, salvage, and reuse of building materials.

Adaptive reuse and hous​e moving

Adaptive reuse and house moving involves taking a house or building from the original location and moving it intact to a new location, where it can be used for the same or a different purpose than it was designed for. House moving helps preserve historical architecture, reduce waste, offset consumption of raw materials required for new construction and create lower cost housing opportunities when the homes are relocated. ​​

​Deconstr​​​​uction

With deconstruction, buildings are systematically taken apart, typically by hand. This method keeps building materials intact and separated, making them easier to reuse and recycle. Experience in Metro Vancouver and other regions is that deconstruction can keep at least 80% of building materials out of the landfill.

Municipal demolition bylaws and permits

Metro Vancouver municipalities each have their own set of bylaws and procedures that govern construction and demolition activities, including salvage and recycling requirements in some municipalities. See below for the permit application process and recycling requirements for your area.

Municipalities with demolition recycling requirements:​​

Try the Residential Demolition Waste Reduction Calculator​

Construction and demolition permitting requirements for other municipalities:​​​
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Related links

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