In 2017, StopWaste analyzed 2,000 construction and demolition waste management plans from five Alameda County cities for the years 2014-2017. 

The data analysis included tons generated (disposed + recycled), project square footage, and project and building types. This table provides estimates for construction and demolition waste generation based on building and project type.

C&D waste generation estimates for the 10 most common building/project types in Alameda County¹

When organic materials such as wood and cardboard break down in landfills, they produce methane, which is 20 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Landfills account for 34% of methane emissions in the United States, so reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Recycling 1 ton of cardboard boxes, for example, reduces greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 4 tons of carbon dioxide.

• Building Material Reuse Association is a non-profit educational and research organization that provides information to facilitate building deconstruction and the reuse and recycling of recovered building materials.
• California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) brings together the state's recycling and waste management programs. The website includes comprehensive C&D recycling information.

This is not a complete list of deconstruction services and is provided for information purposes only. StopWaste is not endorsing or recommending these businesses. 

Find Recycling Facilities

Hazardous waste and materials are common at construction sites. The Baywise website has information about how to handle hazardous wastes from deconstruction or demolition projects.