Construction and demolition recycling does not advance because of any single company, facility, or program. It advances because hundreds of members across the U.S. and Canada show up every day and do the work, whether that means running a sorting line, hauling material, manufacturing equipment, or writing the policy that makes recycling viable in the first place. CDRA’s strength comes from that collective effort, and the progress our industry has made over the past several years reflects what happens when members contribute in their own capacity toward a shared goal. 

Part of that shared work is public education. Many communities still do not understand why recovering shingles, concrete, wood, gypsum, and other C&D materials matters. When the public sees recycling as optional rather than essential, it becomes harder to secure policy support, permitting flexibility, and market demand that our members depend on. Every conversation a member has with a customer, a local official, or a neighbor about why this material belongs out of the landfill helps build that understanding. Landfill space is finite, and every ton of C&D debris that gets diverted preserves capacity communities will eventually need for waste that has no alternative. At the same time, recovered material reduces the pressure on virgin resources, from aggregate to lumber to gypsum, which matters both environmentally and economically as raw material costs continue to rise. 

If you would like to get more involved in these efforts and the work that the CDRA is doing, please reach out to ajohnson@cdrecycling.org.