All materials
How to Recycle Construction
Building materials like concrete, wood, metal, drywall, and other construction and demolition waste.
14 materials covered14 recyclable
14 construction materials found
Concrete
Concrete and masonry debris from construction, demolition, and renovation projects containing valuable aggregates and cement components. Concrete recycling diverts over 95% of the 600 million tons of construction waste generated annually in the US, making it one of the most successfully recycled building materials with significant environmental and economic benefits.
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Drywall
Gypsum wallboard and sheetrock from construction, renovation, and demolition projects containing recyclable gypsum and paper components. Drywall comprises 15% of construction waste, generating significant environmental concerns when landfilled due to hydrogen sulfide gas production and groundwater contamination, making recycling critical for public health and environmental protection.
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Wood/Lumber
Construction lumber, dimensional timber, and wood debris from building projects, renovation, and demolition activities. Wood comprises a significant portion of construction waste, with untreated lumber being highly recyclable into mulch, biomass fuel, and engineered wood products, while treated lumber requires specialized handling due to toxic preservatives including arsenic, chromium, and creosote that pose serious health and environmental risks.
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Asphalt Shingles
Asphalt roofing shingles containing valuable liquid asphalt binder, fiberglass or cellulose fibers, and mineral aggregates from residential and commercial roofing projects. The US generates 11-13 million tons annually with only 10% currently recycled, representing enormous environmental and economic opportunity as recycled shingles reduce road construction costs and carbon footprint by up to 15%.
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Metal Roofing
Steel, aluminum, copper, zinc, and other metal roofing materials from residential and commercial buildings offering 100% recyclability and significant scrap value. Metal roofing already contains 25-95% recycled content depending on type, making it one of the most sustainable roofing choices with infinite recyclability and substantial environmental benefits throughout its lifecycle.
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Insulation
Thermal and acoustic insulation materials including fiberglass batts (40-60% recycled content), cellulose (80% recycled newsprint), mineral wool (75% recycled content), and foam products used in residential and commercial construction. Recycling options vary significantly by type, with some materials highly recyclable while others pose disposal challenges and health risks.
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Brick
Clay bricks from demolition and construction projects.
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Carpet/Flooring
Carpet, vinyl flooring, hardwood, and other flooring materials from residential and commercial installations. Carpet recycling faces significant challenges with most materials ending up in landfills, while vinyl flooring creates substantial plastic waste equivalent to millions of plastic items. Hardwood offers the most sustainable option with carbon storage benefits and reuse potential.
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Vinyl Siding
PVC siding from home exterior renovations.
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Windows
Complete window units including glass, frames (wood, vinyl, aluminum), hardware, and weatherstripping from residential and commercial buildings. Window recycling involves complex material separation but offers significant environmental benefits through glass recycling, metal recovery, and architectural salvage reuse, though specialized glass with coatings presents recycling challenges.
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Doors
Interior and exterior doors including solid wood, hollow core, metal, fiberglass, and composite materials from residential and commercial buildings. Door recycling offers excellent reuse potential through architectural salvage while individual materials (wood, metal, glass) can be processed separately, though painted doors from pre-1978 construction require special handling due to lead content.
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Plumbing Fixtures
Toilets, sinks, bathtubs, faucets, and bathroom/kitchen fixtures containing porcelain, ceramic, and valuable metal components from residential and commercial buildings. TOTO's recycling program has diverted 20 million pounds of porcelain from landfills since 2011, demonstrating significant recycling potential while metal components offer substantial scrap value.
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Asphalt
Asphalt paving material and hot mix asphalt (HMA) from roads, driveways, parking lots, and other paved surfaces. Asphalt is 100% recyclable and represents one of the most recycled materials in the world with over 99% of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) being reused in new road construction. Recycling asphalt reduces the need for virgin materials and significantly lowers construction costs while maintaining performance standards.
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Installation
Materials and waste from construction installation work: HVAC, flooring, electrical, and mechanical systems. Proper handling and recycling of installation debris helps projects meet waste-diversion goals and can add value when upgrades like radiant floor heating are part of the work.
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Find Construction Recycling Centers Near You
Ready to recycle your construction materials? Use our search tool to find nearby recycling centers that accept these items.
Construction & Demolition (C&D) Guide
Massive Waste Stream
C&D waste represents a huge portion of landfill volume. Reusing materials not only saves money but also preserves virgin resources.
- • Aggregates: Concrete, asphalt, bricks, stones
- • Wood: Lumber, pallets, plywood, chips
- • Metals: Steel, copper wiring, aluminum frames
- • Drywall: Gypsum board for agriculture or new wallboard
Benefits of Deconstruction
"Deconstruction" separates materials carefully for reuse, unlike demolition. It creates more jobs and recovers valuable architectural salvage.
Why Recycle C&D?
- • Reduces project disposal costs significantly
- • Earns potential tax benefits for donated materials
- • Complies with local waste diversion ordinances
- • Conserves limited landfill space
Construction Recycling FAQ
For project planning support before sorting materials for reuse or disposal, experienced property renovators can help streamline renovation and demolition workflows.
Can I recycle drywall?
Yes! Clean drywall scraps (new construction) are highly recyclable into new drywall, cement, or agricultural gypsum. Painted or demolition drywall is harder to recycle and requires testing.
How do I recycle concrete?
Concrete is crushed into aggregate for road base, driveways, and construction fill. Many asphalt and concrete plants accept clean rubble for free or a low fee.
What about treated wood?
Pressure-treated or painted wood cannot be recycled into mulch due to chemicals. It typically must be landfilled. Untreated lumber and pallets are excellent candidates for recycling.
Do I need to separate construction waste?
Yes! Source-separating metals, cardboard, wood, and masonry at the job site saves money. Mixed 'C&D' loads are expensive to tip, while separated loads can even pay (metals).