Development of a prototype assessment tool to evaluate the potential to successfully implement deconstruction as a regional waste reduction strategy

The construction industry produces one-third of the nation's annual waste stream. This accounts for an estimated 136 million of the 395 million tons of waste produced annually. Our expanding national infrastructure is a result of increasing population and a strong stable economy. Unfortunately, the development needed to support the growing nation is occurring unsustainably. Developing in an unsustainable manner has significant detrimental global environmental impacts. Replacing environmentally detrimental practices with sustainable alternatives assists in ensuring that future generations have an equal or better quality of life. A prototype assessment tool was developed through this research that identifies, assembles, and evaluates regional factors allowing a user to determine their regions' potential to successfully implement deconstruction as a waste reduction strategy. The assessment tool targets entities that are responsible for solid waste management and provides them with a means to determine if deconstruction could be an effective strategy to reduce the waste stream generated from single family residential demolitions and renovations. The assessment tool calculates (1) the Deconstruction Implementation Potential Score, (2) the Deconstruction Implementation Potential Ranking, (3) the Potential Waste Diversion Quantity, and (4) the Potential Waste Diversion Percentage. These scores can be used to determine if the region should pursue deconstruction as a waste reduction strategy or if the region should pursue other waste reduction alternatives. Based on the user input, the assessment tool also provides regionally specific recommendations to assist the user in improving the regions' potential to successfully implement deconstruction. Although this tool was developed to specifically address the residential deconstruction process, an additional, and possibly more significant impact is that this tool can also be used in the solid waste management strategic planning process to produce an overall deconstruction strategy. The tool was distributed for review to four main categories of individuals: deconstruction experts, recycling coordinators, government and regulatory agencies, and private entities. Each group was targeted due to its unique ability to provide input on several aspects of the assessment tool. Through this distribution and review, the necessity and usability of this tool were validated.