Bricks and tile

According to the 2014 Disposal Facility-Based Characterization of Solid Waste in California, construction and demolition (C&D) materials are estimated to account for between 21.7 to 25.5 percent of the disposed waste stream. Previous study estimates have ranged from 29 percent in 2008 to 24 percent in 2004.

Common C&D materials include lumber, drywall, metals, masonry (brick, concrete, etc.), carpet, plastic, pipe, rocks, dirt, paper, cardboard, or green waste related to land development. Many of these materials can be reused or recycled, thus prolonging our supply of natural resources and potentially saving money in the process. Of these, metals are the most commonly recycled material while lumber makes up the majority of debris that still goes to a landfill.

Construction and demolition (C&D) debris includes the materials that are discarded from construction and demolition activities including asphalt, concrete, brick, rock, soil, lumber, gypsum wallboard, cardboard and other associated packaging, roofing material, ceramic tile, carpeting, fixtures, plastic pipe, metals, tree stumps, and other vegetative matter resulting from land clearing.