Construction and Demolition Debris: Invest in Communities, Protect the Climate!

We'll admit it. "construction and demolition debris" is not sexy. Why is it a big deal?

Well, did you know that San Francisco sends 150,000 tons of demolition and construction waste to landfill each year? The embodied carbon content of this waste could add up to 3% to our city's greenhouse gas emissions inventory, not to mention that of the virgin materials involved in new construction!

Fortunately, we can reduce carbon emissions and pollution associated with the demolition and production of new construction materials, all while supporting environmental justice with jobs and funding for impacted communities.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is considering an ordinance to improve the diversion of the over 1.5 million tons of debris generated by construction and demolition projects each year.

The SF Climate Emergency Coalition is seeking amendments that would help reduce carbon emissions and construction and demolition debris by incentivizing reuse of carbon intensive material. They would also provide community jobs and benefits on the order of $10 million per year in funds for air and climate mitigation to impacted residents based on the ordinance’s existing estimate of landfilled and incinerated debris.

Sound like something you might be interested in helping us tackle? Send a letter to the Board of Supervisors demanding they seize this opportunity!