In the area of new Extended Producer Responsibility, let’s talk about Construction and Building Products and Materials. read below to find out how construction waste is treated.
According to a theoretical approach, approximately 1.17 million tons of construction waste would be produced in the territory of South Carolina in 2024. According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), 94% of this waste is inert waste and 82% comes from public works.
This would therefore mean that in South Carolina, 14% of these tonnages come from construction, 0.3 million precisely if the DHEC calculations are correct, often discarded with dumpster rentals. But in real life, we would be well above… Observe the illegal deposits: there is almost always a small pile of aggregate, cement or a remnant of tiles lying around here and there.
So you have understood: the collection and recycling of waste from construction products and materials in the building sector promises to be extensive.
Who is concerned with waste management
- Producers who either manufacture and assemble, import or introduce into the national market products or materials intended for the construction or renovation of a building
- All professional and non-professional consumers of these products
Consumers or owners must ensure that waste from their construction, renovation or demolition sites is collected, decontaminated and recycled in accordance with regulations. They will then have to join an eco-organization of their choice and apply the eco-participation that corresponds to the product.
Which products are affected
Construction products and materials covered by Building REP are classified into two main categories:
- Products and materials consisting mainly of minerals. For example: slate, concrete and mortar or the components used in their preparation (aggregates, cement, additives, etc.), limestone, ceramic, lime, etc
- Products and materials made from wood, plaster, plastic, glass, mineral wool, bitumen, textiles, including frames
Excluded from the scope are excavated earth, basic nuclear installations and funerary monuments.
How can construction waste be treated
The establishment of the sector will make it possible to take charge of the collection and treatment of this waste with dumpster rentals, provided that it is separated into 7 streams. Because the final goal is to deploy reuse, to encourage recycling, to improve our perception of reuse.
And in South Carolina, how do we do it
Many players did not wait for regulations to experiment and go further in their recycling or reuse experiments. Dedicated working groups must emerge (some already exist) and will allow the emergence of a dynamic and responsible sector, focused on the circular economy.
According to waste experts at Myrtle Beach Dumpster Rental Center, a local garbage disposal company, the implementation of new regulations for construction waste is not a punishment but an opportunity which will allow our territory to go further in waste management and to move forward surely (but not slowly), towards the long-awaited zero waste target.
The South Carolina regulations regarding construction waste
South Carolina enforces regulations on construction waste management to mitigate environmental impact and promote sustainable practices. Construction sites must adhere to strict state guidelines for waste disposal, emphasizing recycling and proper disposal methods.
These regulations aim to reduce landfill usage and encourage the reuse of materials, fostering a more eco-friendly construction industry for the state of SC. Local contractors and builders are required to implement a waste management plan, ensuring compliance with state laws and minimizing the ecological footprint of their construction projects. The above measures will contribute to preserving South Carolina’s natural resources and promoting a cleaner environment for future generations to come.