New research commissioned by Nantucket Preservation Trust, in partnership with ReMain Nantucket, has revealed that more than 17,000 tons of construction and demolition waste is transported off of Nantucket each year to landfills in Ohio and Maine. But the research, conducted by leading planning consultants EBP, also revealed that at least 4,500 tons of these building materials could be salvaged for reuse, with a resale value of roughly $100/ton. EBP have completed Phase One of a building materials salvage and reuse study. Phase One consisted of a Market, Impact, and Feasibility analysis.
Salvaging 4,500 of reusable building materials per year would have a significant impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reductions in other pollutants. Part of the study included interviews with local stakeholders to gage attitudes surrounding salvage and deconstruction. These interviews indicated generally positive feelings towards creating a salvage facility on Nantucket, and initial research revealed there are several potential locations and operators for such a facility.
Nantucket represents a unique building environment, particularly compared to larger regions with broader income distributions. The pace of construction, renovation, and demolition is much quicker here: between 2017 and 2021 there were and average of 385 residential renovation permits issued per year, 304 residential new construction permits per year, and an average of 35 single-family residential demolition permits per year. The study makes clear that all of these renovations and demolitions are creating a staggering amount of waste, it also reveals an exciting opportunity for reuse. Click here to read the full Phase One report.
Nantucket Preservation Trust and EBP will continued the study with a second phase, already underway, exploring strategies employed by other communities to reduce construction and demolition waste and their potential for implementation on Nantucket. Stay tuned for additional updates!
Above photo: Salvaged building materials in San Antonio, Texas.