Reuse: The True Sustainability

In a lot of places we are seeing new recycling endeavors. Whether it’s recycle bins or recycled materials we used, we are taught to recycle in order to be sustainable. No doubt recycling has its benefits and is always better than making completely new goods but the truth is that there is nothing more sustainable that reusing something as is. 

Deconstruction is the process of carefully dismantling a building in order to salvage components for reuse and/or recycling. Results in products for sale, trained labor force, improved environmental quality. This is never to be confused with demolition which is the act of destroying a building (or portion), often with heavy machinery, employing very few and resulting in only garbage for the landfill.

When people spend their money they expect the best value. Sometimes people mistake the “best value” for “new.” There is a stigma for reused things. We would all rather what we know is brand new but we must be considerate of environment. Reuse in construction, does not at all imply that we should construct with inferior and run-down material from elsewhere, but instead that we reclaim those parts that are quality. Recycling is actually a way we know that the quality is something inferior to what was before. It actually takes energy to get something inferior instead of using something that takes no additional energy at all.

So are there other benefits to reuse? Sure there are!  There are cost offsets in the form of tax donations for materials. These are geared toward homeowners in moderate tax brackets.

Deconstruction is quieter, cleaner, and much safer than demolition. Sometimes the materials are even valuable for resale.

I know how alluring complete destruction can be to some contractors. I don’t know on how many remodeling shows I’ve seen the workers go crazy with a sledge hammer to take down interior walls and create new inviting spaces. Sure, demolition is faster but if we do what is expedient or convenient all the time we will never get the chance to turn our environmental situation around. Landfill space is becoming more and more unavailable and the fees are quite costly to haul useable material there. Save money and materials, it just makes sense.
 
                       

As with anything it’s difficult to get anything going without some strong backing from our public policy. Until the government finds the need to enforce true sustainable practices, the reuse movement will be on the shoulders of the minority who believe in stewardship and environmental health. As we speak there are places that dictate the only 50% of waste can go to the landfill or there are penalties. Unfortunately demolition does not have such stipulations. What we must do now is “think befor we throw away.”