Best Practice Action Detail

There are no recycling requirements, but projects can get points on the sustainability scorecard if construction materials come from recycled products or from things made or recovered withing 500 miles of the site.

The city participates in Hennepin County's pre-demolition inspection program to ensure all regulated materials (such as appliances, electronics, fluorescent lightbulbs, etc.) are removed and properly managed before demolition work begins (per Hennepin County Ordinance 7 paragraph 2.07. The goal of the program is to keep problem materials out of landfills and ensure proper management of waste. The reuse and recycling of building materials is also promoted during inspections. Hennepin County staff conducts the inspections with contractors and requests applicable demolition documentation from contractors including MPCA 10-day notifications, asbestos/hazardous material survey, and disposal manifests.

It is practice for city staff to make an effort to re-use or donate any appliances from city-owned scattered site housing properties prior to demolition. The refrigerator at 6046 West Broadway was salvaged and installed at the city pool and the stove was donated to Habitat for Humanity.

Appliances were retained from the property the EDA acquired at 5212 Pennsylvania Avenue North and utilized as part of the rehabilitation project at 3924 Utah Avenue North in 2019.

In 2022, the city's demolition contractor for the project at 5306 Rhode Island Avenue North subcontracted with an nonprofit organization called Better Futures Minnesota to deconstruct the home. Deconstruction is an environmentally friendly alternative to the typical demolition of buildings. Unlike demolition, deconstruction carefully removes a house or building so that materials can be recycled, repurposed, or reused instead of being sent to a landfill. They work to recover salvageable building materials and divert as much material as possible from landfills. Better Futures Minnesota receives a deconstruction subsidy from Hennepin County to pay for the services. Materials that can be salvaged such as doors, cabinets, lighting, lumber, appliances, tile, and plumbing are then sold at the Better Futures’ ReUSE warehouse.

Rochester has a strict regulation for construction sites to enforce the seperation of recycled materials and waste.
"Subs. 4. Construction Sites. Generators of Solid Waste at Construction Sites must ensure the
separation of Mixed Municipal Solid Waste and Recyclable Materials either on-site or through the use of a
service provider offering such separation. Disposal of Construction Debris and Demolition Debris must be
in accordance with a facility’s approved Industrial Solid Waste Management Plan. Any Solid Waste
generated at construction sites shall be placed in acceptable containers as specified in this Ordinance. No
burning, burying or dumping of Solid Waste generated at construction sites shall occur at locations other
than permitted facilities, including brush and tree waste. "

The City’s Ordinance 01 74 19 covers general requirements for construction or demolition waste management and disposal. The City also has a construction or demolition waste management plan form that accompanies every spec sheet for projects.

The City has ordinances which govern construction sites and proper waste disposal, hazardour material disposal, and requirements of proper disposal of all other debris. See page 168 in the link provided"Pollution Prevention Management" in the City's Zoning Regulations.