Industry News

The EPA released its 2018 Fact Sheet: Advancing Sustainable Materials Management. According to the report, the United States generated 600 million tons of Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris — more than twice the amount of generated municipal solid waste.

Construction and demolition materials consist of concrete, wood, asphalt, gypsum bricks, glass, etc. Materials also include salvageable building components, including doors, windows, and plumbing.

Of the 600 million tons of C&D Debris, 90% is due to demolition debris. Almost 145 million tons of this waste was sent to landfills.

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Local Emergency Orders due to COVID-19 are halting construction work for metal recycling operations on the both the East and West Coasts.

What I’m hearing:
> Scrap operations are essential businesses
> Repair of existing essential machinery is allowed
> The construction of NEW work is not essential

If you’re the owner or manager of recycling operation, anticipate disruptions. If there is a cease work order, you will have little choice but to stop.

Contractors may seek to exercise force majeure clauses to cover costs of rentals, canceling subs, or orders for materials.

The terms and conditions on sales orders and contracts might become more relevant than anticipated a few weeks ago.

NOW is the time to work pro-actively with contractors and suppliers to minimize disruption and delay costs. Be clear about not letting the meter keep running on rentals, and costs that could be minimized if there is a shutdown.

Industrial sites are, by their nature, non-public and specialist workplaces. They’re often overlooked for rigorous cleanliness regarding infectious diseases.

Industry follows standard workplace regulations but they’re lightly enforced by code officials and inspectors, who rightly focus on safety. However, with COVID-19, employees and contractors are voicing their concerns and asking for action to protect them.

As the U.S. recovers from the virus and public health becomes an elevated concern in the workplace, companies will have to rethink their current and future practices to lower job site exposure to infectious diseases. But what are companies looking at now?

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In the months or years leading up to any large construction project, a great deal of work has already taken place to ensure the project complies with state and federal regulations. 

Pre-planning helps ensure your project remains on track while also alleviating unexpected and costly surprises (e.g. you learn of a threatened species within the construction zone, bringing all work to a grinding halt).

Studies, reports, permissions, and permits are long lead items and require consultation with development professional as early as possible, as any one of these things may slow the start of breaking ground, even on a site you on which you currently operate.

Lot lines, easements, and surface water issues may require real estate transactions. 

Due to the complexity of these issues, it’s highly advisable to hire a knowledgeable Owner Project Manager who can help advise and navigate the various commissions, permitting, and reviews needed. An OPM with an extensive network can also recommend or hire other professional firms, such as environmental engineers, as needed.

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“The recycling industry continues to power America’s manufacturing base, creating jobs, generating tax revenue, and proving valuable feedstock for new products,” says Joe Pickard, chief economist for ISRI.

Pickard is referring to the recently released 2019 Economic Impact Study of the U.S.-based scrap recycling industry. The report is based on research conducted by John Dunham and Associates, and published by the Institute of Scrap Metal Recycling Industries (of which our sister company, K2 Castings, is a member).

In addition to providing positive environmental benefits (e.g. fewer recyclable materials in landfills and oceans, parks, etc.), the scrap recycling industry is responsible for more than 531,500 jobs and an economic impact of nearly $110 billion in the United States.

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