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Construction isn’t all building, it also includes demolition when a new structure replaces an old one. Between constructing and deconstructing, a lot of waste product is generated. In fact, the EPA estimated that 600 million tons of C&D (construction and demolition) debris were generated in the United States in 2018, the last year complete figures are available, which is more than twice the amount of generated municipal solid waste.
EPA also produced estimates for the 2018 mass quantities of C&D debris material intended for next use or sent to landfills. “Next use” designates an intended next-use market which, depending on the material, may include fuel, manufactured products, aggregate, compost and mulch, or soil amendment. The manufactured products next use encompasses estimates of C&D debris processed (e.g. ground, crushed or extracted and melted) for incorporation in the manufacture of new materials and products. For example, C&D asphalt is processed for use in the production of asphalt mixtures.
Cities, counties, and states are seeking ways to minimize the C&D waste and one direction is improved resource management. Rheaply, a climate tech company that combines a resource-sharing network with a user-friendly resource management platform, has received funding from the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance Game Changer Fund to build an online exchange for building products and other resources. The exchange, which is set to launch in late 2022, will enable businesses in the greater San Francisco Bay Area to access surplus and salvaged resources at cost-effective rates.
One of the primary purposes of this exchange is to address the magnitude of waste that is generated by construction and demolition) activities. In San Francisco alone, over 100,000 tons of C&D material end up in landfills annually rather than get recycled. With new construction slated to accelerate with the newly enacted infrastructure bill in Congress, from an environmental perspective, there is a dire need for change.
Through this partnership, Rheaply’s resource management technology will establish a sustainable means of procuring building products, many of which might otherwise have been sent to landfills. Being able to access these usable salvaged and surplus items, rather than having to buy new, full-price materials, will provide cost savings to the Bay Area’s commercial construction, small business, and nonprofit sectors.
For organizations looking for supplies, the online exchange will provide insights into what resources are available and make transactions simple. Especially for small businesses and nonprofits, the time and cost savings could be highly impactful.
Small businesses have long been the backbone of local economies and communities. They have a critical role to play in combating climate change. Yet despite the fact that they make up half of the U.S. and global economy, small businesses are often left out of the equation when developing solutions for climate change. To address this issue, Rheaply’s resource exchange enables businesses to come together and share workplace resources with other leaders in their local communities.
This approach has caught the interest of financial software company Intuit. The Intuit Climate Action Marketplace is an online destination that empowers small businesses to take immediate action to replace high carbon-emission activities with more sustainable solutions in the energy, travel, food waste, commuting and procurement sectors. With this marketplace, Intuit is helping small businesses align with the United Nations Race to Zero pledge, a global campaign to rally leadership and support to commit to a resilient future.
Rheaply and Intuit will aim to identify areas of opportunities for small businesses to stimulate a circular economy within their local communities through both their platforms. With one click, small businesses can take immediate action to replace high carbon-emission activities with more sustainable solutions across energy, travel, office supplies, and other categories. Collectively, the choices made by millions of small businesses today can accelerate our global response to the climate crisis.
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