Transcript:
When a building is torn down, much of the rubble ends up in a landfill.
But many commonly discarded building materials – like doors, sinks, windows, floors, cabinets, and wood – could be reused instead.
Rhines: “They’re not thrown away because they’re unusable. They’re thrown away because demolition is faster.”
Petrina Rhines is executive director of the Birch Group, a Minnesota-based company that carefully takes apart old buildings to reuse the materials. She says the approach can reduce supply costs.
Rhines: “We try to reclaim almost 85% of the home, of the building materials from any project that we take on … at minimum 75%.”
And they teach contractors, students, and others how to do the same.
Through online classes and hands-on work, trainees at the company’s Deconstruction Academy learn how to dismantle buildings and salvage supplies. And they earn a certification in these skills.
Bringing those skills into the workforce can benefit the climate by keeping building waste out of landfills and reducing the energy needed to produce new supplies like concrete and flooring.
So the Deconstruction Academy is helping to build a skilled workforce that can cut the climate impact of the construction industry.
Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media
