Walsh Construction Company, long time Construction Works member, again recognized for environmental leadership

2005 Archived News

Walsh Construction Company reaffirms their commitment to jobsite recycling and King County's Construction Works program, which provides free assistance to builders to recycle, reduce waste and use recycled-content building materials.

Construction Works helps builders realize the economic and environmental benefits of recycling and using recycled-content materials. Builders who recycle and reduce jobsite waste have reported dramatic savings. One Construction Works member recycled 97 percent of the jobsite debris, saving $90,000 in hauling and other disposal fees.

Walsh Construction Company, which previously became a Construction works member for its outstanding efforts on the Nordheim Court project, has once again been recognized as a member of Construction Works for its excellent waste diversion strategies at the Eastside Housing Association's Avondale Park project. East Side Housing Association works to increase the supply of emergency shelter and transitional housing, and to engage families, women, and youth in identifying and solving the problems that cause their homelessness. The organization operates Avondale Park, a 16-unit transitional housing program that has served 60 homeless families in the past four years. Ninety percent of the families served have transitioned into permanent homes. Walsh's company policy is to meet or exceed Construction Works standards on all its projects.

For the Avondale Park affordable housing project, the jobsite recycling rate was 75 percent, and Walsh used many recycled-content materials during construction, such as wallboard, asphalt shingles, insulation, and concrete/asphalt mix. Walsh also employed multiple waste reduction strategies on the jobsite, the most notable being work with the architect to ensure the housing design modules accommodated standard framing and wallboard so that minimal waste is generated. Other waste reduction strategies included requiring subcontractors to take back containers and reuse pallets, saving all leftover remnants of construction lumber over 16 inches rather than disposing of them, reusing asphalt on road bases, and reusing concrete formwork.

Construction Works is co-sponsored by the King County Solid Waste Division and the Resource Venture, a program of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and Seattle Public Utilities.

Companies who become Construction Works members receive a range of benefits which include: public recognition; customized technical assistance to set up or increase jobsite recycling and waste reduction programs; hardhat decals for their crews; and, a jobsite banner.

For more information about Construction Works or an online application, go to www.metrokc.gov/greenworks and click on Construction Works. You can also contact the appropriate program coordinator for more details. For jobsites in King County, contact Kinley Deller at 206-296-4434 or send an email to kinley.deller@kingcounty.gov . For jobsites located in Seattle, contact Karen Price at 206-389-7281 or send an email to karenp@resourceventure.org.