BELL is proud to join the new local initiative put in place to help reduce construction and demolition (C&D) waste in Middle Tennessee to help meet Metro Nashville Public Works’ Solid Waste Master Plan. The program kicked off with a Zoom roundtable discussion on July 15.
The meeting (titled “Achieving Zero-Waste in Nashville C&D”) brought together leaders from various entities in our community to discuss “ways to work with owners, the AEC community, demo contractors, and the local government to promote the use of recycled materials and incentivize reducing C&D waste that goes into landfills,” according to an email from Kaylah White, executive director of the Middle Tennessee Branch of The Associated General Contractors of Tennessee.
The initial goals outlined by the program include:
- 90% reduction in material landfilled within Nashville by 2050
- 20% growth in Tennessee Materials Marketplace (TMM) participation (user count) and materials listings (40 new participants/listings)
- Completion of Nashville Build Upcycle facility Phase 1 to provide physical location for materials that may otherwise be landfilled
- Elevated awareness of zero-waste practices among contractors in Nashville
- Increased adoption of recycling and recovery programs targeted toward Nashville’s growing construction and demolition waste
One major component of the initiative is the TMM, a project created and funded by the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development (US BCSD) and the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) to decrease commercial waste by allowing entities such as manufacturers, contractors, and demolition companies to sell what they might otherwise just throw away.
“The Tennessee Materials Marketplace aims to create a collaborative network of businesses, organizations and entrepreneurs where one organization’s hard-to-recycle waste and by-products becomes another organization’s raw material. In addition to diverting waste from landfills, these recovery activities generate significant cost savings, energy savings, and create new jobs and business opportunities.”
Representing BELL in the discussion was Pre-Construction Manager Derek Brown. After joining BELL in June 2020, Derek quickly expressed his desire to become involved personally and on behalf of the company. This important project that will benefit the entire community seemed like the perfect opportunity.
“As a native of Middle Tennessee, I am looking forward to being a part of this initiative and helping out any way I can,” said Derek.
To learn how you can get involved, visit the Tennessee Materials Marketplace. (There is some really cool stuff for sale!)
