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Demolition Materials

C & D Materials

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Construction & Demolition Materials

Construction and demolition (C&D) materials consist of the 

debris generated during the construction, renovation, and 

demolition of buildings, roads, and bridges. C&D materials 

often contain bulky, heavy materials that include: 

concrete, 

wood (from buildings), 

asphalt (from roads and roofing shingles), 

gypsum (the main component of drywall), 

metals, 

bricks, 

glass, 

plastics, 

salvaged building components (doors, windows, and plumbing fixtures), and 

trees, stumps, earth, and rock from clearing sites.

Reducing and recycling C&D materials conserves landfill space, reduces the environmental 

impact of producing new materials, creates jobs, and can reduce overall building project 

expenses through avoided purchase/disposal costs.

Wastes - Non-Hazardous Waste - Industrial Waste

http://www.epa.gov/wastes/nonhaz/industrial/cd/index.htm

Last updated on Wednesday, July 27, 2011

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http://www.epa.gov/wastes/nonhaz/industrial/cd/index.htm 9/22/2011
You are here: EPA Home Wastes Non-Hazardous Waste Industrial Waste Construction & 

Demolition Materials Basic Information 

C & D Materials

Basic Information

Where You Live

C & D Landfills

Basic Information

EPA estimates that 136 million tons of building-related C&D materials was generated in the 

United States in 1996. 

The majority of this waste comes from building demolition and renovation, and the 

rest comes from new construction. 

Roughly equal percentages of building-related waste are estimated to come from the 

residential and commercial building sectors.

The estimated per capita generation rate for building-related debris in 1996 was 2.8 

pounds per person per day.

The composition of C&D materials varies significantly, depending on the type of project from 

which it is being generated. For example, materials from older buildings is likely to contain 

plaster and lead piping, while new construction materials may contain significant amounts of 

drywall, laminates, and plastics. For building materials, EPA estimates the overall percentage 

of debris in C&D materials falls within the following ranges*:

Concrete and mixed rubble 40-50%

Wood 20-30%

Drywall 5-15%

Asphalt roofing 1-10%

Metals 1-5%

Bricks 1-5%

Plastics 1-5%

*Analyzing What's Recyclable in C&D Debris (PDF) (4 pp, 105K, About PDF)

Ken Sandler, author. Originally published in BioCycle , November 2003, Vol. 44, 

Iss. 11; p. 51. 

See EPA's 2009 study on building-related C&D materials for a detailed characterization of 

these materials:

Estimating 2003 Building-Related Construction and Demolition Materials Amounts 

(PDF) (60 pp, 722K, About PDF) 

EPA530-R-09-002; March 2009 

Provides a summary of EPA's latest data on C&D debris. 

Wastes - Non-Hazardous Waste - Industrial Waste

Basic Information | C&D Materials | Wastes | US EPA Page 1 of 2

http://www.epa.gov/wastes/nonhaz/industrial/cd/basic.htm 9/22/2011
Significant additional quantities of C&D materials are generated from the construction of 

roads and bridges, from land clearing at construction sites, and at military installations. http://www.epa.gov/wastes/nonhaz/industrial/cd/basic.htm

Last updated on Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Basic Information | C&D Materials | Wastes | US EPA Page 2 of 2

http://www.epa.gov/wastes/nonhaz/industrial/cd/basic.htm 9/22/2011