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The City of Madison requires parties seeking a demolition permit to have a recycling and reuse plan approved by the recycling coordinator prior to the issuance of the demolition permit.  This plan must be submitted in writing to:

Bryan Johnson
Recycling Coordinator
1501 W. Badger Rd.
Madison, WI  53713

FAX: 608-267-1120
E-mail: streets@cityofmadison.com

Within 60 days of the completion of your demolition project you are also required to submit documents that show you have complied with the plan. 

Recycling and Reuse Plan

Here is a sample recycling and reuse plan for demolitions.

The recycling and reuse plan should include information on bulleted items listed below. Also, you must list the recycler you will be using for the recycling efforts in order for the plan to be approved. For example, your plan must state who will be recycling the metal from the project, not just that the metal will be recycled.:

  • Reuse Plan:

Contact the Deconstruction Manager for Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 608-255-1549.  Discuss your property with their staff and see if there are items such as wood flooring, cabinets, windows, doors, or other materials that the ReStore can remove for resale.  You will receive a tax deduction for your contributions.

The ReStore should be able to supply you with a contract and verbal notification of what items they are able to use during a scheduled walk through with Deconstruction Manager. Please write up the list of salvageable materials that ReStore can take, include the list with the contract as part of your plan. If there are no reusable items, your plan should state when you contacted the ReStore and the fact that there were no items they wanted. Timeline with ReStore must be followed.  Failure to allow adequate time for the reuse material to be recovered could result in a fine.

Other reuse contractors may exist, such as WasteCap or Deconstruction INC, if Habitat for Humanity does not fit your needs.

Also, some demolition contractors deconstruct buildings to remove for reuse as many items as possible.  Discuss deconstruction with your contractor. If there are items that the contractor will remove for later use or resale, include a list of those items with your plan.

There may also be items in the original structure that you will be reusing in the new building or that you will be removing and reusing yourself as part of another project.  Provide a list of those items, if any, as part of your plan.

If you plan to recycle asphalt or concrete on site for use in new parking lots or as fill, please add that to your plan.  

 

  • Appliance Recycling:

Appliances are banned from the landfill by state law and local ordinance.  You must have a plan to recycle any appliances in the facility to be demolished.  This includes all HVAC equipment and water heaters.  Most area scrap yards will accept appliances for recycling with the exception of appliances containing CFCs (refrigerators, AC units, and dehumidifiers).  Appliances containing CFCs can be recycled once a licensed contractor has removed the CFCs.  Additional information on CFC removal is available from the City’s recycling office.

Your recycling plan should include your proposal for appliance recycling and CFC recovery if needed.  If you are going to sell or reuse any appliances be sure to reference that in your plan..

 

  • Mercury Recovery/Recycling:

Your recycling plan should include a plan for handling any mercury thermostats and fluorescent light bulbs and/or tubes.  These items are banned from the landfill by federal regulations.

If the facility to be demolished has any of these items, your recycling plan must include your plans to recycle them.  There are several options for recycling mercury thermostats and fluorescent lamps.  You can get details from the City’s recycling office.

 

  • Mixed Loads of Construction and Demolition Debris:

There are several firms that will remove recyclables from mixed loads of debris. 


  • Asphalt, Brick, and Concrete:

If you are removing a parking lot, driveway or concrete foundation, or if the facility to be demolished has a significant amount of concrete in is construction, you must include recycling of these items in your recycling plan.


  • Metal Recycling:

Your recycling program should divert as much metal as possible from the landfill.  Metal that can be recycled from residential projects includes ductwork, rain gutters and downspouts, siding, storm windows and doors.  Many scrap dealers will provide a dumpster for collection of scrap metal or collection from the City’s Streets Division is also available.


  • Shingle Recycling:

Shingles are banned form the landfill and must be recycled.


  • Clean Wood: 

Can be recycled at a number of locations.

 

For a list of City of Madison Certified Recycling Firms...

Compliance Report

Your compliance report should include information on the material that was reused and the volume of material that was recycled and landfilled.  You should also include information on where recycled material was sent.  You can comply with this requirement by sending copies or receipts and/or weight tickets.

The compliance report should be sent to:

Recycling Coordinator
1501 W. Badger Rd.
Madison, WI  53713

FAX: 608-267-1120
E-mail: streets@cityofmadison.com