I recently checked out "The New Ecological Home" by Daniel D.Chiras from the library and learned a lot about green building. Chiras stated that "according to the National Association of Home Builders, a typical 2,200 sq.ft. home requires 13,000 board feet of framing lumber. If laid end to end, the framing lumber would stretch 2.5 miles. If all the dimensional lumber used to build the 1.2 million new homes constructed in the United State each year were laid end to end, it would extend 3 million miles, the equivalent of going to the moon and back six and a half times." On top of that, building this average house generates up to seven tons of waste which includes wood, cardboard, plastic, glass and drywall. Home construction, remodeling and demolition projects are responsible for 25 to 30 percent of the nation’s annual municipal solid waste.

Last spring, the City of Vallejo adopted a construction and demolition (C&D) debris recycling ordinance. The goal is to recycle at least 50 percent of the C&D debris and 75% percent of the concrete and asphalt from each project. This C&D ordinance is mandatory for all public and private construction and remodeling projects that cost $50K and demolition projects measuring 5,000 sq.ft.

Contractors need to submit a Waste Management Plan (WMP)and document their diversion. The city charges an administrative fee of $215 for the WMP and has a flyer listing places that will accept C&D waste. For program details contact City Recycling Coordinator, Derek Crutchfield at 648-4315 or the Building Department at 648-4374.

Because of this ordinance, more companies are gearing up to handle C&D waste. They are listed on the Solano County recycling website www.recycle-guide.com by city to help reduce the cost of transporting the material.

Vallejo Garbage Service is Vallejo’s franchise hauler and will pick up C&D Recycling of the following materials: concrete & asphalt, dirt, lumber and wood (painted or unpainted), pallets, metals, yard waste. Contact Sara Gallegos-Ascencio at 707 552-3110 for information.

The Devlin Road Transfer Station (889 Devlin Rd, American Canyon, 707 252-0500) offers two ways to recycle your C&D debris. There is a free drop off recycling area at the entrance for usable doors, windows, lumber, cabinets, sinks, and landscape materials. These used materials are for sale at great prices. The transfer station has a new C&D debris recycling area. Tell the staff at the scale house that you have C&D and need a receipt then follow the green line to the area behind the tipping building. They accept concrete, asphalt, dirt, clean sheet rock, wood (painted or unpainted) and scrap metal. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. Hopefully, the C&D recycling manager will consider staying open on Saturday and Sunday for do-it-yourself remodelers.

Metal debris and most major appliances can be taken to Alco Iron and Metal (Bldg 629, Mare Island, 707 562-1107) or Napa Steel Mill (465-East Napa Junction Rd, American Canyon, 707 642-2835).

Syar Industires (885 Lake Herman Rd, Vallejo, 707 643-3261) accepts concrete and asphalt. CCL Organics (1460 Goodyear Rd, Benicia, 707 751-0466) will take yard waste, tree rounds, dirt and concrete. CCL sells compost, mulch and soil.

Usable doors and windows may be accepted by Bayshore Materials (512 Solano Av, Vallejo, 644-0859) and Habitat for Humanity (110 Railroad Ave Suite A3, Suisun, 707 422-1948).

VALCORE Recycling will take cardboard plus all the traditional curbside recycling materials.

GOT E-WASTE?

There is a free E-Waste Recycling Event November 4 through 7 at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo. Sunday and Monday hours are 8:00AM to 1:00PM. People should enter at the Horseman's Gate. They will accept televisions, monitors, computers, fax machines, printers, copiers, toner cartridges, MP3 players, VCRs, DVDs, cell phones, and telephones (no appliances). For more information call (510) 357-8993.