• Construction of a typical 2,000-square-foot residence produces 600 pounds of cardboard waste, the equivalent of seven grown pine trees. If every builder in La Plata County recycled cardboard this year, it would save 3,815 trees.

• Recycling construction waste reduces carbon emissions during new home construction by as much as 75 percent by eliminating truck trips to the landfill.

• If every builder in La Plata County recycled construction waste this year, it would keep 2 million pounds of waste out of the landfill.

• At least 2 tons of waste can be recycled from construction of the typical 2,000-square-foot home.

• Landfills are a major source of methane, a greenhouse gas more than 20 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2)

• Excess brick, concrete and cinderblock from new home construction can be crushed to build new roads.

• Recycling metals from home construction saves energy and reduces the need for resource extraction.

– provided by

Phoenix Construction Recycling