As the recycling rates from both conventional demolition and deconstruction are generally about the same (often close to 90% of the material on a project site), the main difference between the two processes tends to be that deconstruction is usually much more labor-intensive than conventional demolition, where considerable amount equipment and technology is used.
Deconstruction involves the hand dismantlement of potential recyclables and can be more time-consuming than conventional structural demolition that utilizes heavy equipment and specialized attachments. The goal of both demolition and deconstruction, however, is the same: to maximize the amount of marketable recycled material generated on a project site.