Preliminary grant timeline (dates subject to change)

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The Solid Waste Division (SWD) strives to enhance the efficacy of Construction & Demolition (C&D) recycling. SWD is offering a new $700,000 C&D Grant Program for innovative projects that support King County's Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan (Comp Plan) Download PDF 12 MB. As established in the King County Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) Download PDF 26 MB, King County aims to divert C&D materials from landfills at a rate of 85 percent by 2025, and also has a countywide goal of zero waste of resources by 2030. Additionally, SWD is committed to implementing the C&D Grant Program with an emphasis on Equity and Social Justice by increasing inclusion in contracting, utilization of small businesses, job creation, and economic development.

Purpose & background

The primary purpose of this grant is to support the development of new or higher value markets for materials generated by construction and demolition activities in King County. The primary C&D materials of this initiative are: clean wood, gypsum, metal, brick, asphalt shingles, and processing fines. Funding for the grant program was authorized in the 2019-2020 Solid Waste Operating Budget and is funded by C&D disposal fees per the King County Construction and Demolition Ordinance No. 18166 passed in 2015. The C&D Recycling Grant Program will also support King County's Comp Plan and SCAP.

The C&D Grant Program will fund projects that address the following:

• Innovation in approach to increasing waste prevention and/or reuse
• Identification of new recycling streams for specified materials to prevent combustion-based uses
• Increase collection of specified materials through improved infrastructure, equipment, and processes
• Applied research of emerging recycling technologies and/or recycling techniques
• Market development and/or development of new products made from C&D materials
• Improvement of existing recycling infrastructures or processes for construction and demolition recycling
• Piloting new processing technologies for specified materials
• Promote manufacturing of new materials from C&D materials
• Other innovative technologies or approaches that may significantly increase quantities of C&D materials that are recycled

2019 – 2020 Awarded Projects

Washington State University (two projects) $320K

• Project 1: Asphalt Research: Develop hot mix asphalt mixes that contain high percentage (e.g. 7%) of recycled asphalt shingle (RAS).
• Project 2: Concrete Research: Inorganics, such as concrete, brick and tiles and polymers from carpet will be valorized to create a "geopolymer" cement binder.

DTG Enterprises $25K

• Material recovery equipment purchase (Shearforce HMG-T42 Magnet)
• May reduce ferrous metal tonnage by 4% annually or over 8,000 tons

IQ Solutions $120K

• Equipment purchase and modification for increased efficiency of facility deconstruction
• May increase recovery of wood by 30-50% per project