“Green Building” Hot in 2012
By John Majercak – New England’s Center for EcoTechnology
“Green building” has gone from a buzz phrase to a significant and growing driver within the home building and remodeling business. The development of new stores like the nonprofit EcoBuilding Bargains in Springfield, which features recycled and reclaimed building materials, is testimony that taking a green approach to building and renovating is hot in 2012.
The eco-friendly construction and renovation business is growing in popularity not only among do-it-yourself consumers but also in the building and construction sector with contractors and architects. When it first emerged, green building was popular almost exclusively among environmentalists. But now those who want to save substantial dollars on building materials have joined those wanting to reverse the “throw away” trend and limit the amount of materials entering landfills and waste burning plants.
It wasn’t long ago that separating paper, glass and cans into recycling containers was a new idea. In 2012 that same kind of awareness, among consumers and contractors, will take a big step forward in the area of reusing home materials. Preservationists, environmentalists and those looking for cheaper ways to do things as a result of the Great Recession are all contributing to explosive growth in the market for used or surplus building materials.
This is not a regional phenomenon, either. Over the past decade used building materials stores have grown across the nation from a dozen or two in 2001 to more than 750 today.
So what are the trends this year in the green construction sector in New England and what is hot in green building?
For one thing, the relatively new term “deconstruction” is going to become much more common. Deconstruction is the careful removal of building materials for reuse as an alternative to demolition. The materials are saved from disposal and donated to a nonprofit used building materials store like EcoBuilding Bargains in Springfield.
Recovered materials can be sold at low-cost to help others fix up their homes. Shoppers can expect to pay about 1/3 the cost of new or less for used items, and about 1/2 the cost of new for brand new surplus items.
Top sellers we are seeing in 2012, and in the recent past, are cabinets, windows, doors and hardwood floors. New England is loaded with old homesteads with original hardwood flooring. Deconstruction techniques allow us to de-nail hardwood flooring, preserving it and making it available for reuse. Items available for pennies on the dollar at stores like EcoBuilding Bargains in Springfield include cabinets, doors, electrical supplies, flooring, hardware, lighting fixtures, sliding doors, thermal windows, lumber, molding, plumbing, roofing, vinyl siding, paint and windows.
Foreseeing continued strong growth in this area for 2012, the 10-year–old EcoBuilding Bargains just completed a major expansion, quadrupling its size and making it the largest in New England. To promote recovery and reuse, EcoBuilding Bargains works with contractors, suppliers and homeowners throughout New England to provide deconstruction services through qualified contractor partners as well as free pick up for all donated items.
Our deconstruction work to reuse home materials is increasingly getting more attention, and was featured on the PBS show “This Old House.” In spite of its growing popularity among consumers there are still many people who don’t know about the availability of quality used or surplus home items for such low-cost.
The first time someone works with us on a renovation, for instance, they are surprised to learn that we can use almost all of the materials they are removing. A good example is a kitchen remodel where a homeowner wants to remove old cabinets, sinks and light fixtures because they want to update their style. At first glance, all this stuff seems like trash to the homeowner, even though it is still in good condition. We tell them there are lots of people who would love to have those cabinets and light fixtures in their home. Then we say we’ll also take the sink, the counters, that two-year-old fridge and the door – and pick it all up for free. We will frequently hear them say they had no idea how much could be reused by others and then ask us to look at other items in their shop or garage.
Some donors have a sense that the materials they are removing are useful and they may even feel a bit guilty about throwing them away, but they don’t know of any appropriate place to take the material. As more contractors become aware of reuse organizations such as ours, the availability of these materials will grow. It’s a plus for the contractor who is able to provide a valuable new service to their customers. While contractors have become a big source of materials for the reuse business, we expect the number of contractors engaged in deconstruction and reuse to grow rapidly in 2012.
Other sources of surplus materials are retailers, distributors and manufacturers who have overstocks, discontinued items, cancelled orders and liquidations. These businesses can’t afford to take up precious space in their facilities to warehouse these items and are happy to donate them to us, where we can sell them for a fraction of the cost of new items.
It is clear that in 2012 and beyond, deconstruction and surplus materials for donation to reuse stores will become more mainstream. We expect to see contractors referring their clients to used building materials stores not only to make donations of materials being removed, but also as a source of materials to be installed – as a way to reduce the project price, making it possible for the homeowner to proceed with the job.
Expect to see deconstruction crews working throughout Massachusetts, including Springfield, Worcester and Boston; in Greater Hartford, Connecticut; and beyond in northeast New York, southern New Hampshire and Rhode Island. We expect continued growth in this new and growing practice of recycling and reusing home building materials.
Some resources for those interested in deconstruction, the reuse of building materials or in donating materials: http://www.ecobuildingbargains.org/deconstruction/. Other useful sites include: earth911.com, cetonline.org, DoItYourself.com and bmra.org. Those wanting to talk to someone at our store to learn more, to identify a particular item in stock or to inquire about donating used or surplus materials can call (413) 788-6900.
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John Majercak is Executive Director of the Center for EcoTechnology.
The Center for EcoTechnology helps people carry out their daily activities with less environmental impact. It provides practical solutions that save energy, materials and money and have a positive impact on our environment and community. The Center for EcoTechnology serves residents, businesses and communities in the areas of Energy Efficiency and Green Building, Green Homes and Businesses, and through its retail store, EcoBuilding Bargains. It is a 35-year-old nonprofit organization with offices in Springfield, Northampton and Pittsfield. Visit www.cetonline.org to learn more.
