Construction debris turns into road-building gold
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Tons of construction and demolition debris must be sorted as part of MWA's recycling process. Photo: Courtesy of MWA
Metro Waste Authority (MWA) is now using recycled construction materials to build roads at landfill sites, a decision that has already saved the agency hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Why it matters: Construction and demolition debris plays a significant role in landfill waste and results in tens of millions of dollars' worth of recyclable materials ending up in Iowa dumps each year.
Catch up quick: MWA is a regional government service that manages trash and recycling services for more than a dozen central Iowa communities.
- Construction material waste such as concrete, wood and metal has been accepted for recycling at the Metro Park East Landfill for years, often at no cost.
- In late 2022, the agency started saving some of the concrete and other crushable materials for its own uses.
Driving the news: The program was expanded last year to accept more co-mingled loads using a process to separate materials for recycling.
- The Boone County Landfill recently directed its construction and demolition to MWA to extend the facility's lifespan by as many as 30 years, the Ames Tribune reports.
Stunning stat: The program has accepted nearly 30,000 tons of materials and recycled more than 21,000 appliances since 2022.
Zoom in: More than 16,000 tons of material has been used for MWA projects, saving an estimated $600,000 by avoiding gravel purchases and hauling costs, spokesperson Emily Grier tells Axios.
What's next: In the coming weeks, the MWA plans to crush and repurpose its latest stockpile of salvaged materials intended for its own use, anticipating additional savings of $90,000.
