I’m sure many of the Apoc Blog readers are familiar with
demolition, which literally is just knocking down a building when it is beyond
repair. Demolishing houses is relatively simple, since they are usually only
2-3 stories high. The process involves a safety plan so that the debris doesn’t
affect surrounding areas and people by planning where it falls. Even though it
is planned, it’s rather chaotic: the building is collapsed with smashing and
rubble. After a building is knocked down, the waste materials are loaded into
trucks and transported to the local landfill.
The process of demolition does not take into account the
preservation of recyclable materials. Everything is just toppled and piled together,
dumped into a truck and taken away to waste and decay in a landfill. Some
demolition waste that breaks down in landfills give off hazardous elements and
gases, and may contain other hazardous materials. Since most landfills are
already over capacity, this only contributes to MORE landfills being created –
which is a waste of space and materials, and, as you all well know, is terrible
for the environment.
Deconstruction is a great solution to demolition. From the
start, deconstruction is considering the possibility of saving materials. The
approach is truly green, taking the time to sort out things that can be
recycled or reused. If properly organized and carried out, deconstruction can
divert up to 90% of materials away from landfills,
Apoc has a successful deconstruction program that utilizes
an important source of materials. Reclaiming wood from local, expired homes
around Cleveland not only gives back to the planet, but gives back to the
community by respecting the history of the buildings and neighborhoods from
which the reclaimed wood is sourced.
Be sure to catch the Details Magazine article covering
Apoc’s contribution to the Rust Belt Revival.
-TB
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