Construction & Demolition Waste - Accomplishments

Project Outcomes

Beginning with the 2012 code cycle, the Seattle building and residential codes have been designed to work in conjunction with Seattle Public Utility’s waste programs to maximize the amount of material that can be recycled or salvaged from a building site.

The Seattle building and residential code require:

• Projects involving demolition with either an area of work greater than 750 square feet or a project value greater than $75,000 to comply with the construction and demolition waste requirements
• Applicants to submit an inventory of potentially salvageable materials at application intake
• Applicants to submit a waste diversion report to Seattle Public Utilities within 60 days of the SDCI final inspection approval
• The waste diversion report to identify the waste materials produced on your project site, their weight, where the materials were taken, and the haulers.

Key Milestones

• July 2014
  New waste diversion requirements are enforced through the 2012 Seattle Building and Residential Codes
• November 6, 2016
  The 2015 Seattle Building and Residential Codes are published with revisions that include the elimination of the waste diversion plan.

Project Purpose

• By 2020, Seattle’s goal is to have 70 percent of all construction and demolition waste recycled or salvaged for reuse instead of ending up in a landfill
• SDCI code requirements help achieve our city’s 2020 goal by working in conjunction with SPU’s material bans and facility certification
• Developing a salvage assessment before beginning construction helps building owners be more thoughtful about which materials can possibly be salvaged for reuse