IRN’s WasteMiser services are comprehensive for all activities related to managing wastes on the job site

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End Markets

To maximize recycling and minimize waste management cost, it’s necessary to have reliable and cost-effective markets for all of the many wastes that are generated on the jobsite. The IRN has multiple end markets for over twenty source-separated and mixed construction and demolition wastes, including:

In all cases, the cost to recycle these materials through IRN markets is much less than the cost to call in containers and throw them away as mixed debris.

Hauling / Transportation

We assure that all containers on site are properly sized and scheduled to match the specific wastes from each phase of the project. Then from a roster of over 30 regional haulers, we identify the service providers that match best to the job. We make sure that containers arrive on time, get placed where you want them, and are removed or replaced when you need them to be.

Planning

Early and effective planning is critical to optimize recycling. We meet early on with construction planners (architect/contractor/owner’s representative) to review job type, size, phasing, site constraints, and schedule. We then make a preliminary identification of recyclable materials and procedures, and confirm these with project managers. With this information, we confirm recycling markets, specifications, and current pricing. We develop quantitative estimates of materials potentially recycled and discarded. We estimate recycling costs and revenues compared to disposal alternatives.

As required, we develop a comprehensive waste management plan that addresses materials, markets, containers, scheduling, on-site material separation, IRN, prime, and subcontractor responsibilities, hauling arrangements, and documentation requirements. Like a blueprint, this is a living document that guides all waste management activities on the job site, and is modified and updated as the job progresses.

Education

IRN can provide training to all personnel involved in handling wastes on the job site. Training is typically provided at safety meetings, when new subcontractor crews come on site, and at other times when there are new personnel or a new phase of job activity. We also provide clear signage on all waste containers, and morale-boosting materials like T-shirts and hardhat stickers. The goal is to make recycling as simple as possible, and rewarding for all involved.

Recordkeeping and Documentation

We track weight slips and bills of lading to calculate the recycling rate and document the cost savings associated with recycling. We can also manage all invoicing, to simplify your own paperwork and provide a single source of information to track all costs and revenues associated with waste management on the job site.

When the job winds down, we finalize the Waste Management Plan with documentation of all wastes generated on the job site, waste management history, and recycling rate. We provide all documentation required for LEED or other third party certification. And we can help coordinate publicity so that the good news about recycling gets out to the trade and local press.

Other LEED Services

The IRN can do more than deliver the 2-4 LEED points associated with waste management and recycling. IRN’s LEED-accredited staff are expert in many other aspects of sustainable building and can help achieve cost-effective LEED points in areas such as indoor air quality, use of recycled materials on the job site, and translating sometimes complex LEED criteria into language that everyone on the site can understand.

Getting Started

Our services can be as simple or as comprehensive as you need them to be. After reviewing a new job with you, we develop a proposal matched to your specific needs for waste management services on the job site. We can simply be your hauler – identifying markets and bringing in containers to manage the recyclable materials that you identify. Or we can help develop and implement a comprehensive waste management strategy involving planning, training, recordkeeping, and preparation of LEED or other documentation. Or almost any level of involvement in between. The cost of IRN’s services vary depending on project size, type, and complexity, and the role you ask us to play in the project. The important thing is that you know these costs up front, so that you can factor them in when you calculate total waste management costs, and the savings you can expect through IRN’s WasteMiser services.