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Guest Feature—Summer 2002 Demolition to Donation | |
| by Richard Ludt
Interior Removal Specialist, Inc. has been a pioneer in tenant improvement demolition since 1994. From our first day, our theory has been that recycling is more than just a good idea: it is crucial to the environment. We have always recycled the steel, aluminum, copper, and other material from our jobs, but we knew we could do more. On every job, we find office furniture and cabinets left by the previous tenant. They know that they are getting new furniture when they get to their new space, so why cart around the "old" stuff? Early this year we started looking for a way to keep these valuable items out of the landfill, extend their use, and at the same time help those less fortunate. That's when we found CalMAX. We went to the CalMAX Web site and put in several listings for the material we saved from our jobs, offering those items for free to nonprofit organizations. CalMAX began to open doors for us that we never thought possible. From the moment we started listing in CalMAX, we got responses from a wide array of people and organizations who were willing to take the items that would otherwise go in landfills. Arm Full of Help, a Christian charity, contacted us and expressed an interest in the kitchen cabinets that we remove from every job we do. In a three-day period, they took nearly 15 tons of cabinets from our yard, along with doors, filing cabinets, and tables. The St. Vincent DePaul Society, who came to our yard and loaded up approximately 12 tons of desks and credenzas, found us through the CalMAX program. Goodwill called and, after hearing what we had in the yard, sent a truck to pick up nearly 4 tons of filing cabinets and desk chairs. We were amazed at how quickly we were able to clear out the storage space in our yard. In only seven days nearly 30 tons of material was diverted from the waste stream, and that was just from items we had in the yard. With the yard storage area cleared out and a list of organizations that are willing to come to the yard for pickups, we have been able to bring more usable items back. We now have a constant stream of donated goods. The diversion doesn't end there. Habitat for Humanity has expressed an interest in the doors we take out of the high-rise buildings. We informed them that in 2001 we were forced to discard more than 900 tons of doors because we couldn't find anybody who would take them. We donate to smaller charities and community organizations as well. When our local fire station called and said that they were running out of storage space, we donated cabinets. When Wolf Mountain Sanctuary called because they were running out of kennel space, we donated fencing materials. All this goodwill was brought about because we could place the items with people who needed them, and CalMAX helped us find those people. When most people think about recycling, they think about saving money. Anybody in the construction industry knows that that is not always the case. The time it takes to separate items and the labor and storage space needed to effectively divert materials from the waste stream can make throwing items away contribute to a much healthier bottom line. At Interior Removal Specialist, Inc., we are willing to spend a little more, because we can see with our own eyes the good that these items are doing in our community. A company has to be judged by more than just a monetary figure. We all have a responsibility to our communities and our children. If we can help your organization with a donation of materials, please do not hesitate to let us know.
Last updated: August 01, 2008 |
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California Materials Exchange (CalMAX) http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/CalMAX/ CalMAX@ciwmb.ca.gov (877) 520-9703 |
