construction initiative

visit for additional resources

We want to promote your 

project!

Industrial

Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response

EPA530-F-08-013 

www.epa.gov 

June 2008

Recycled/Recyclable—Printed on paper that 

contains at least 50% post consumer fiber.

If you are interested in recycling industrial materials 

in your construction projects, or for more information 

about the Construction Initiative, contact our 

coordinators at rcc-challenge@epa.gov. Recognizing 

that success fosters success, we also are interested 

in documenting and promoting ongoing or recent 

construction projects in which recycled industrial 

materials are used. 

Supporting green design 

in construction through 

industrial materials recycling

EPA Industrial Materials Recycling Web page: 

www.epa.gov/industrialmaterials

FHWA’s Recycling Web page: 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/recycling/

Industrial Resources Council:

www.industrialresourcescouncil.org

Industrial materials include coal 

combustion products, spent foundry 

sand, construction and demolition 

materials, iron and steel slags, scrap 

tires, and pulp/paper mill residuals. 

Many of these materials have 

engineering, chemical, and physical 

properties that make them valuable 

resources, but are often disposed as 

waste. Recycling industrial materials in 

construction embodies green design 

by conserving natural resources and 

reducing energy use and greenhouse 

gas emissions associated with virgin 

materials. In addition, industrial 

materials are often less expensive 

than the virgin materials they replace. 

As the demand for construction 

materials continues to rise in the U.S. 

and abroad, designing with recycled 

industrial materials can make good 

economic sense for project owners 

and builders. 

Materials And Their Benefits
success

green building and the 

construction initiative

value to construction 

applications

the

Industrial materials can be recycled in nearly all 

aspects of construction for buildings, roads, and other 

structures. In some cases, they can even improve the 

quality of the products in which they are used. For 

example, using coal fly ash as a partial replacement 

for portland cement enhances the strength, durability, 

and workability of concrete. Common uses for coal fly 

ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag, and spent 

foundry sand, include concrete, road embankments, 

and flowable fill. Concrete and asphalt rubble can 

be crushed and used as road base, aggregate in 

pavements, structural fill, or drainage material. Roofing 

shingles can be shredded and recycled in pavement, 

replacing costly virgin asphalt.

Green, or sustainable, building is the practice of 

creating and using healthier and more resourceefficient models of construction, operation, 

maintenance, and renovation. Designing with 

industrial materials is a key component of green 

building and can earn points in green building 

certification programs, such as the U.S. Green Building 

Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental 

Design (LEED)® green building rating system. 

Green construction also can involve a variety of other 

sustainability areas, including air quality, recycling, 

green purchasing, water stewardship, and energy 

efficiency. The CI works in concert with other EPA 

programs that support these areas. The Destiny USA 

project, is a prime example of the kind of multimedia 

assistance EPA can offer through the RCC’s CI. For 

more information on these programs that support 

green building, visit EPA’s green building website, 

www.epa.gov/greenbuilding.

Industrial Materials Recycling and LEED® Credits Points

Using construction and building products 

containing recycled content

1–2

Reusing building materials and products 1–2

Diverting C&D materials from disposal 1–2

Using materials extracted, processed, and 

manufactured locally

1–2

Total Possible Points 8

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)

Construction Initiative (CI) is a collaborative, public-private sector effort to increase the recycling 

and reuse of industrial materials in building and transportation construction projects across the nation. It is a part of EPA’s 

Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC), a national program that provides renewed urgency to the Agency’s message of 

reducing, reusing, and recycling valuable materials. The Initiative increases awareness of the potential value and unique 

abilities of these materials to replace virgin materials in numerous construction applications. To reach this goal, EPA is working 

with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Industrial Resources Council (comprised of representatives from 

seven industry associations), to provide technical assistance to building owners, real estate developers, architects, general 

contractors, and transportation officials.

EPA’s Region 8 headquarters in Denver has earned a Leadership in Energy 

and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold rating and contains recycled 

industrial materials throughout the structure. For more information, visit: 

www.epa.gov/region8/building/index.html.

Destiny USA, a major commercial development in 

Syracuse, N.Y., will be built with recycled industrial 

materials. In 2006, EPA contacted the owner and 

developers of Destiny to discuss the environmental 

benefits of industrial materials recycling, as well 

as other green building practices. Later that year, 

Destiny USA and EPA entered into a voluntary 

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) through the 

RCC. The MOU identifies Destiny’s intent to pursue 

several conservation and pollution preventionbased programs and initiatives as part of the design, 

construction, and operation of the complex. Since 

the signing of the MOU, EPA has provided technical 

assistance to Destiny that has resulted in several 

environmental accomplishments: 

Greenhouse gas emissions reductions. With 

EPA’s assistance, Destiny determined the project 

could utilize concrete containing 30% coal fly ash 

with no compromise to performance. The project 

has already exceeded the 3,000 tons of coal ash 

pledged in the MOU. To date Destiny has utilized 

more than 5,440 tons in sidewalks, parking lots, pile 

caps, elevator shafts and grade beams, reducing 

greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 5,400 tons, 

which is equivalent to the annual emissions of about 

900 passenger vehicles.

Reduced air emissions from construction. 

EPA assisted Destiny on transitioning from B20 biodiesel fuel to B100 biodiesel fuel for all construction 

vehicles involved in the project, resulting in reduced 

air emissions of particulate matter, carbon dioxide, 

and carbon monoxide from construction.

Switched to green power. EPA’s Green Power 

Partnership assisted Destiny in switching from 

19.5 million kilowatt-hours to 100% green power 

for the operation of the existing Carousel Center 

mall which is currently being expanded as part of 

this project, preventing approximately 958 tons of 

greenhouse gas emissions.

Destiny has joined EPA’s WasteWise program and 

also has committed to joining the Water Sense and 

ENERGY STAR® programs. For more information on 

the Destiny project, visit www.destinyUSA.com.

A Construction Initiative