Constructing a Circular Economy in NYS:
Deconstruction and Building Material Reuse

2024 - NYS WhitePaper
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NYS Circular Material Flow Diagram


Executive Summary

This white paper was authored by Cornell University researchers led by the Circular Construction Lab and Just Places Lab in collaboration with community organizations and industry experts within the New York State-based Circularity, Reuse, and Zero Waste Development (CR0WD) network. This work was generously supported by The 2030 Project, a Cornell University climate initiative housed within the Atkinson Center for Sustainability.

The white paper consists of an analysis of the current linear construction economy in New York State, an assessment of the economic, environmental, and social potential of deconstruction and reuse, and state-level policy and practice recommendations based on this assessment. The intent of this analysis is to aid policymakers, state agencies, and  local governments in the development of a circular economy in New York State.


Demolition and Waste in New York State

New York State (NYS) aspires to lead the nation in climate adaptation, circular economy, and sustainability, while strengthening the economy and improving quality of life for its communities. Ambitious goals set forth in the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA); 2022 Executive Order 22: Leading by Example: Directing State Agencies to Adopt a Sustainability and Decarbonization Program; and 2023 New York State Solid Waste Management Plan: Building the Circular Economy Through Sustainable Materials Management (SWMP) include building a green workforce, dramatically lowering carbon emissions, reducing waste, and transitioning to a circular economy.

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NYS Deconstruction and Reuse Impacts

A focus on the built environment is paramount in accomplishing these goals. NYS produces more than 18 million tons of construction and demolition (C&D) debris annually  from buildings, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure, which represents 46% of all waste generated in the state. C&D debris from construction, renovation, and demolition of buildings alone amounts to 7.7 million tons annually, of which, 58% is landfilled, combusted, or exported. The glut of wasted C&D materials is worsening NYS’s waste crisis, which is poised to escalate as the state’s two largest landfills that accept C&D, the Town of Brookhaven Landfill and Seneca Meadows—together accounting for over 30% of the state’s C&D landfill capacity—are scheduled to close or stop accepting C&D waste by the end of 2025. Buildings and waste are the first and fourth largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting sectors in NYS, together responsible for 43% of annual emissions. These vast quantities of GHG emissions and waste can be largely attributed to linear “take-make-waste” construction, demolition, and landfilling practices that undermine the state’s economic potential and compromise the health of NYS communities.

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New York State Tomorrow: The Potential of Deconstruction and Reuse

Amidst NYS’s challenges with waste and climate change lies a transformative opportunity. The transition to a circular construction economy represents the possibility to unlock billions of dollars of unrealized economic activity, introduce thousands of new green jobs, divert millions of tons of waste, and prevent 75% of embodied carbon emissions. A crucial step toward a circular construction economy is replacing wasteful building demolition practices with deconstruction, which is the systematic dismantling of a building or structure. Deconstruction maximizes the recovery of building materials for reuse, thereby generating the most economic value over multiple lifecycles. Relative to demolition and landfilling, deconstruction and reuse create considerably more economic, environmental, and social value, and can be instrumental in achieving NYS’s economic and climate goals.

A shift to a circular construction economy is not only a matter of environmental sustainability, it is an economic and social imperative for NYS. This white paper examines the potential impacts and feasibility of this paradigm shift, suggesting operational changes and policy recommendations based on an in-depth analysis of current conditions and precedents from around the country. The following chapters outline the status quo of demolition and landfilling in NYS, identify economic, social, and environmental opportunities for deconstruction and reuse at scale, and recommend necessary policy interventions and investments to position NYS as the national leader in deconstruction and building material reuse. Below is a summary of the policy recommendations discussed in detail in the section State-Level Policy and Practice Recommendations.

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White Paper Cover

Released on October 3rd, 2024 the NYS White Paper "Constructing a Circular Economy in NYS: Deconstruction and Building Material Reuse" provides an in-depth perspective on the State's current linear construction economy  and an assessment of the economic, environmental, and social potential of deconstruction and reuse. The paper concludes with a set of state level policy and practice recommendations to aid policymakers, and local and state government agencies, in the development of a circular economy in New York State.

Constructing a Circular Economy in NYS: Deconstruction and Building Material Reuse is available to download for free below:

Download NYS White Paper

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White Paper Cover

Selected Testimonials about the White Paper

Project Credits

This white paper was authored by Cornell University researchers led by the Circular Construction Lab and Just Places Lab in collaboration with community organizations and industry experts within the New York State-based Circularity, Reuse, and Zero Waste Development (CR0WD) network. This work was generously supported by The 2030 Project, a Cornell University climate initiative housed within the Atkinson Center for Sustainability.

CR0WD Editorial Team:

  • Wyeth Augustine-Marceil, Project Lead, Circular Construction Lab & Just Places Lab
  • Felix Heisel, Assistant Professor, Cornell University Department of Architecture and Director, Circular Construction Lab
  • Jennifer Minner, Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor, Cornell University Department of City and Regional Planning and Director, Just Places Lab
  • Diane Cohen, Chief Executive Officer, Finger Lakes ReUse
  • Gretchen Worth, Director, Susan Christopherson Center for Community Planning


Cornell University Research Team:

  • Denise Ramzy, Senior Lecturer, Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
  • Lori Leonard, Chair, Department of Global Development
  • Courtney Bower, Just Places Lab
  • Roma Patel, Circular Construction Lab
  • Junbo Huang, Just Places Lab
  • Annie Stewart, Susan Christopherson Center for Community Planning
  • Kai Foti, Susan Christopherson Center for Community Planning


Research Consultancy: 

  • Brad Guy, Material Reuse


Layout and Graphics:

  • David Perovsek, Circular Construction Lab


Preferred Citation:
Heisel, Felix, Minner, Jennifer, Augustine-Marceil, Wyeth, Cohen, Diane, Worth, Gretchen (eds.), Constructing a Circular Economy in New York State: Deconstruction and Building Material Reuse. Ithaca, NY: Cornell Circular Construction Lab, Cornell Just Places Lab, and CR0WD, 2024.

 

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