How to Donate or Recycle Home Remodeling Materials
Cut greenhouse gas emissions, ease landfill loads and give back to neighbors with an eco-friendly approach to renovation
Visit any remodeling project during its demolition phase, and you might think that those piles of broken concrete, asphalt, wood, drywall, brick, metal, glass and more are just junk heaps destined for a landfill. Not so fast.
Many construction and demolition materials can be reused and recycled. And doing so reduces greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing the need to produce and manufacture new materials. Recycling home remodeling materials eases strain on local landfills. Who wants those to get any bigger than they have to?
Many construction and demolition materials can be reused and recycled. And doing so reduces greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing the need to produce and manufacture new materials. Recycling home remodeling materials eases strain on local landfills. Who wants those to get any bigger than they have to?
Where to Donate or Get Used Building Materials
The Freecycle Network. More than 5,000 groups make up this free, 9 million-member global nonprofit whose mission is to keep “good stuff out of landfills.” Browse your city’s Freecycle listings to connect with other residents to give and receive building materials, furniture, toilets, appliances, carpet and more. Through this network, the organization says it’s able to keep more than 1,000 tons a day out of landfills.
Habitat for Humanity ReStores. These popular nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers are found all over the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Stores accept new and gently used appliances, furniture, building materials, household goods and more. (The list varies by location, so check before taking your materials there.) You can also buy items from the stores. Many homeowners have reported finding good deals on kitchen cabinets, doors, windows and more.
Craigslist. Think of this site as a worldwide virtual classified-ads listing. Search the “for sale” section for materials or create a post to sell your own materials. You should also check out the “free” section (under “for sale”) to find and give away materials and furniture. A recent search showed people giving away pea gravel, scrap metal, dirt, appliances, paint, stain, pallets, windows, scallop edging bricks, scrap wood, broken concrete, wood chips, sliding doors, pressure-treated posts, salvaged lumber, cabinet doors and more. Facebook Marketplace offers a similar experience.
Construction & Demolition Recycling Association. The CDRA advocates for an environmentally friendly approach to construction by promoting the recycling of materials such as concrete, asphalt, shingles, gypsum drywall, wood and metals. Use the site to search for construction and demolition recycling companies in your area.
The Freecycle Network. More than 5,000 groups make up this free, 9 million-member global nonprofit whose mission is to keep “good stuff out of landfills.” Browse your city’s Freecycle listings to connect with other residents to give and receive building materials, furniture, toilets, appliances, carpet and more. Through this network, the organization says it’s able to keep more than 1,000 tons a day out of landfills.
Habitat for Humanity ReStores. These popular nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers are found all over the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Stores accept new and gently used appliances, furniture, building materials, household goods and more. (The list varies by location, so check before taking your materials there.) You can also buy items from the stores. Many homeowners have reported finding good deals on kitchen cabinets, doors, windows and more.
Craigslist. Think of this site as a worldwide virtual classified-ads listing. Search the “for sale” section for materials or create a post to sell your own materials. You should also check out the “free” section (under “for sale”) to find and give away materials and furniture. A recent search showed people giving away pea gravel, scrap metal, dirt, appliances, paint, stain, pallets, windows, scallop edging bricks, scrap wood, broken concrete, wood chips, sliding doors, pressure-treated posts, salvaged lumber, cabinet doors and more. Facebook Marketplace offers a similar experience.
Construction & Demolition Recycling Association. The CDRA advocates for an environmentally friendly approach to construction by promoting the recycling of materials such as concrete, asphalt, shingles, gypsum drywall, wood and metals. Use the site to search for construction and demolition recycling companies in your area.
Building Materials Reuse Association. The BMRA is a nonprofit “educational and research organization whose mission is to advance the recovery, reuse and recycling of building materials,” according to its website. Click on the “find/donate” tab on the website to navigate to a directory developed by BMRA, the American Wood Council and the Canadian Wood Council. There you can enter your city to find local places to donate and buy wood materials like barn wood, furniture, countertops, I-joists, doors, windows, fiberboard, engineered flooring and more.
Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA offers a guide to sustainable management of construction and demolition materials that’s a deep dive into building waste and how to manage it from an environmental standpoint. It might be more geared toward industry professionals such as general contractors, builders and demolition companies, but anyone who’s interested in geeking out more on reducing material waste will find it useful. The agency also offers guidelines for specific materials, with information about how much of each material’s content can actually be recycled.
State resources. For local directories on reducing, reusing and recycling materials, visit your state’s .gov website. Sometimes this falls under its environmental department, such as in Texas, where you can find info through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. California’s CalRecycle (the state’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery) has information about reusing and recycling building materials. The site also has a tool specifically for contractors to assist with diverting waste from job sites.
National Demolition Association. The NDA represents contractors who manage, dispose and recycle demolition debris. You have to be a member of the association to gain access to some of its website, which includes a directory to recycling centers and landfill facilities for construction and demolition materials.
Tell us: Have you built or decorated your house with recycled or salvaged materials? Please tell us about it in the Comments!
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Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA offers a guide to sustainable management of construction and demolition materials that’s a deep dive into building waste and how to manage it from an environmental standpoint. It might be more geared toward industry professionals such as general contractors, builders and demolition companies, but anyone who’s interested in geeking out more on reducing material waste will find it useful. The agency also offers guidelines for specific materials, with information about how much of each material’s content can actually be recycled.
State resources. For local directories on reducing, reusing and recycling materials, visit your state’s .gov website. Sometimes this falls under its environmental department, such as in Texas, where you can find info through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. California’s CalRecycle (the state’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery) has information about reusing and recycling building materials. The site also has a tool specifically for contractors to assist with diverting waste from job sites.
National Demolition Association. The NDA represents contractors who manage, dispose and recycle demolition debris. You have to be a member of the association to gain access to some of its website, which includes a directory to recycling centers and landfill facilities for construction and demolition materials.
Tell us: Have you built or decorated your house with recycled or salvaged materials? Please tell us about it in the Comments!
More on Houzz
Where to Donate, Sell or Recycle Old Furniture and Electronics
The Future of Smart Design: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle
Browse the latest photos
Find a pro specializing in sustainable design
Shop for home improvement products
If you’re working with a general contractor or other remodeling professional, ask him or her about how your old building materials could be reused, recycled, donated or disposed of in an environmentally conscious way. And inquire about how you can reduce excess material waste during construction. If you’re doing the work yourself, there are still plenty of options for getting rid of your construction waste besides putting them in a landfill.
What Building Materials Can Be Reused and Recycled?
First off, it’s good to know what can be reused and salvaged, and what can be recycled. This list is from the U.S. Green Building Council, which recommends trying to reuse or salvage first. Once those options are exhausted, turn to recycling.
Home items to reuse or donate. The following materials and fixtures have potential to be removed from a house and used as-is in another house or building.
Home items to recycle. The following materials can be removed from a house, taken to a recycling facility and made into new materials that can then be used in houses and buildings.
Find a green-building specialist in the Houzz pro directory