King County launches campaign to improve construction jobsite diversion, recycling

Local companies encouraged to apply to be a ‘CleanBin’ jobsite

Each year, jobsites in King County send more than 150,000 tons of clean wood, asphalt shingles, concrete, asphalt, rock, brick, plastics and other recyclable or reusable materials to the landfill.

These construction and demolition materials have value when recycled or reused and can serve to benefit our local economy, rather than being a financial and resource drain when just disposed in a landfill.

To promote the proper separation of recyclable materials at construction and demolition jobsites by placing recyclables and garbage into separate bins, King County GreenTools program has launched “CleanBin,” an annual program that recognizes local construction teams who are doing a bang-up job recycling on construction sites.

“When contractors use only one bin on site, mixing together materials that should be in a landfill and materials that have some value, it drives up costs and complexity at the processing facility and often times recyclable materials end up in the landfill,” said Kinley Deller, King County GreenTools project manager.

“Up to 95 percent of the typical waste at a construction site can be recycled but when mixed with garbage, cross contamination happens, and the recovery rate goes down. Having a bin for materials that are truly recyclable ensures that the materials of value really can be recycled.”

To qualify as a CleanBin jobsite, the construction, remodel or building removal project must be in King County and must have been completed between Sept. 1, 2010 and Sept. 1, 2011. Each site must have a garbage-only container and achieve a 75 percent recycling rate, or a 50 percent recycling rate for building removal projects. Applicants must submit documentation including waste hauler receipts and an online construction and demolition diversion report.

Companies with jobsites that qualify for the CleanBin list will be publically recognized by King County. To apply, visit www.greentools.us.  Entries must be received by Oct. 23, 2011. Qualified CleanBin jobsites for 2011 will be announced in November.

The King County GreenTools C&D diversion/recycling program provides tools and assistance to contractors in order to achieve high waste diversion rates for construction, demolition and deconstruction projects. To learn more about the range of services available, contact Deller at kinley.deller@kingcounty.gov or by calling 206-296-4434.