Skip to content

Building Smarter: Construction & Demolition Waste Management in Massachusetts

BBP Quarterly

In Massachusetts, the construction industry has made steady progress in diverting materials from landfills, but there is still a long way to go. Every project — regardless of scope, size and program — generates waste that has both environmental and financial impacts. Effective construction & demolition (C&D) waste management is not only a regulatory requirement but also a way to reduce project costs, improve efficiency, and demonstrate environmental leadership in the industry.
 
This article intends to provide a brief overview of Massachusetts C&D Waste regulations, requirements for common programs such as LEED, and some best practices for implementing a waste management program.
 
Regulatory Landscape: What You Need to Know
 
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) oversees all waste and recycling practices at various levels, including regulations, permits, and reporting. Since July 1, 2006, the MassDEP has banned the disposal or incineration of Asphalt, Brick, and Concrete (ABC), Metal, Wood, Glass, Plastic and Cardboard at solid waste disposal facilities in Massachusetts.  This ban was expanded on July 1, 2011, to include Clean Gypsum Wallboard.[i] Additional bans were implemented in 2022, covering Mattresses and Textiles, reinforcing the state’s goal to reach 90% waste diversion by 2050 under the Solid Waste Master Plan.[ii]  For several years, there have been no landfills in Massachusetts that will accept C&D Waste. This means that all C&D waste is currently trucked to out-of-state facilities – and those states are restricting the materials they accept, which will in turn place further restrictions on construction projects in Massachusetts.
 
Contractors are required to separate banned materials – or send them to a recycling facility for further sorting and processing – and divert them to approved recycling facilities. Failure to comply can result in enforcement actions, fines, and project delays. It has become increasingly common to see this as a contract requirement, especially for public and  institutional projects, as well as projects pursuing certifications such as LEED, TRUE, and Living Building Challenge.
 
Why It Matters to Construction Managers
 
Beyond environmental impacts, C&D waste management directly affects schedule, budget, and reputation. Poorly managed C&D materials can lead to:

  • Contamination of recyclable streams, increasing hauling costs and increasing materials brought to landfills

  • Missed LEED credits and similar programs/incentives

  • Negative client and community perception

  • Fines and non-compliance actions

Conversely, well-planned waste programs often result in cost savings through reduced disposal fees, shorter hauling cycles, and certainty for green building certifications. 
 
Best Practices for Waste Management Planning

  1. Plan Early: Engage all stakeholders early in preconstruction to ensure transparency around requirements and goals, while also allowing for integration into the construction budget, logistics, and schedule as applicable. It is also critical to engage with any self-perform divisions and trade partners that will directly or indirectly be responsible for waste management and hauling. Setting clear expectations for responsibilities and waste requirements, and including relevant subcontract language, will increase accountability and ensure the project is set up properly.

  2. Partner with Haulers & Recycling Facilities: Connect with haulers and recycling facilities to better understand their processes and capabilities for material separation, recycling, waste reporting and documentation. Request and incorporate waste plans and reporting requirements from the haulers into your overall Waste Management Plan, including intended recycling facilities, how various materials are recycled or processed, and end-of-life uses.

  3. Provide Training: Regardless of experience with waste management and diversion, training is a best practice to ensure all parties are aware of requirements and expectations, and empowers individuals to drive quality assurance and control throughout the project. Training can be implemented at all levels, including construction management operations and office staff, subcontractors and trade partners, and laborers.

  4. Track & Report Waste Management: For any project pursuing certification such as LEED, detailed tracking and reporting of waste generation and diversion will be required. Clients may also require reporting for projects not pursuing certification, and an in-depth review of the project specifications should be completed to determine any project-specific requirements. This information is also necessary for the many General Contractors who publish an Annual Report of Sustainability Results which include the total tonnage and percent of Waste Diverted from Landfills. Determine the appropriate cadence for reporting, though monthly is recommended as a best practice. Reports should include detailed logs for all hauls indicating material stream and tonnage – as well as what recycling facility the materials were taken to – and waste tickets as supporting documentation.   

  5. Site Separation & Waste Management: Provide signage for each dumpster or similar waste-collection, identifying the intended material streams. Multi-lingual signage is best to ensure accessible and effective communication to all parties. Provide dedicated laborers and/or superintendents to enforce compliance on site and ensure single-stream dumpsters are not contaminated, and maximize the recyclability of materials (clean drywall, clean wood, concrete free of washout bags, etc.).

  6. Communicate & Reinforce: As the construction manager or general contractor, effective communication and reinforcement of waste management requirements, including recognition of high-performing teams, projects, or initiatives, will be critical for successful implementation and continuous improvement.

Additional Resources:

  • Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

    • The MassDEP issues guidance, planning tools, annual reports, among other resources which are available through their website. Visit the following link to “Managing Construction & Demolition Waste” to access a sample C&D Waste Plan and more.

  • RecyclingWorks Massachusetts

    • RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts, funded by MassDEP, provides various resources for all stakeholders to help reduce waste and increase material recycling.  Visit their website here to access all of their resources, ranging from case studies and technical assistance, to information on waste ban compliance and recycling best practices, a comprehensive directory of recycling facilities, and guidance on C&D materials specifically.

  • Extended Producer Responsibility Programs:

  • Material Donations & Non-Profit Organizations:

  • Common Certifications & Waste Requirements:

    • LEED BD+C v4:

      • Develop & implement a C&D Waste Management Plan.

      • Option 1 – Diversion (1-2 points):

        • Path 1 (1 point)

          • Divert at least 50% of the total construction and demolition material; diverted materials must include at least three material streams.

        • Path 2 (2 points)

          • Divert at least 75% of the total construction and demolition material; diverted materials must include at least four material streams.

      • Option 2 – Waste Reduction (2 points):

        • Do not generate more than 2.5 pounds of construction waste per square foot (12.2 kilograms of waste per square meter) of the building's floor area.

    • LEED BD+C v4.1:

      • Develop & implement a C&D Waste Management Plan.

      • Option 1 – Diversion (1 point):

        • Divert at least 50% of the total construction and demolition materials from landfills and incineration facilities.

      • Option 2 – Waste Prevention (2 points):

        • Divert at least 50% of all demolition waste, if any. Generate less than 10 lbs./ft2 (50 kg/m2) of waste materials from all new construction activities.

    • LEED BD+C v5:

      • Develop & implement a C&D Materials Management Plan.

      • Diversion (1 point):

        • Divert at least 50% of the total construction and demolition material. At least 10% of diverted materials must be salvaged or source-separated and sent to single-material recycler(s).

      • Diversion (2 points):

        • Divert at least 75% of the total construction and demolition material. At least 25% of the total diverted materials must be salvaged or source-separated and sent to single-material recycler(s).

    • Living Building Challenge Petal Certification:

      • LBC 4.1 – Net Positive Waste

        • Develop and implement a Materials Conservation Management Plan.

        • Include at least (1) salvaged material per 500 square meters of project floor area.

        • Compost all food scraps and provide recycling containers for common goods (aluminum cans, plastic, etc.)

        • Divert materials from the landfill:

          • Metal – 99%

          • Paper + Cardboard – 99%

          • Soil + Biomass – 100%

          • Rigid Foam, Carpet & Insulation – 95%

          • All Others – Combined Weighted Average – 90%

          • Demolition Waste – 80%

    • Living Building Challenge CORE:

      •  LBC CORE 1.0 – Responsible Materials

        • Develop and implement a Construction Materials Management Plan

        • Divert at least 80% of all construction and demolition materials.

    • TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency):

      • Platinum Certification:

        • Achieve at least a 90% diversion rate for all waste.

        • Do not exceed a 10% contamination level for any materials that leave the site.

        • Submit a case study of zero-waste initiatives.

Building Smarter: Construction & Demolition Waste Management in Massachusetts