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PlanetReuse (#27) |
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| Type of building: | Web Tool |
Entry Description | |
| PlanetReuse.org is an on-line resource that provides homeowners, architects, decon professionals and local municipalities with an industry solution to find, reclaim and sustainably deconstruct and reclaim building materials. PlanetReuse was created to enable material reuse at all levels, from residential, commercial to municipal and this successful concept, continues to remove common barriers associated with material reuse and is pushing forward in completing a buildings' Life Cycle. | |
| A discussion of design for adaptability and disassembly techniques incorporated: PlanetReuse.org provides three main services to the design and construction community; material brokering, online purchasing and deconstruction consultation. Material brokering is connecting reused materials from deconstruction and reclamation professionals to architects and sustainable designers in need of them. The ultimate goal of material brokering is to divert a portion of the nearly 1.5 billion tons (est) of construction waste and debris that enters the worlds landfills and oceans on a yearly basis. The challenge was developing a profitable business model for all parties involved that would further promote material reclamation, and aim to make material reuse not only feasible from a sustainability standpoint, but from an economical one as well. The second is direct online transactions through the site for smaller orders. Transactions through the site will promote micro-economies and local reuse efforts on a smaller scale. Lastly, building decommissioning reporting to building owners is both an educational tool and a sustainable means of making recommendations on existing buildings. Clients include municipalities, local and state governments, developers and commercial building owners who are interested in sustainably deconstructing their building stock. Often when reporting is done prior to demolition, demolition costs are often negated, due to profit from resale of materials by the deconstruction professional. | |
| Environmental implications of entry: The environmental applications of the PlanetReuse.org are as follows: -Realize the embodied energy in an already refined building material as opposed to using virgin materials to create new materials which utilize water, energy and carbon to create a usable building product. -Limits the carbon footprint of fuel used to transport reused materials by promoting local material reuse. -Creates a new means and value to existing structures that can be capitalized on for a profit. -Creates new markets for “Deconstruction Professionals” to enter which promotes sustainable building disassembly. -Eligible for major green building metric credits (such as LEED MR credits) -Educates building owners to the value and savings of reused materials. -Provides architects with a unique palette of materials or a sustainable toolbox to pull from to design more environmentally conscious buidings. -Teaches municipal leaders on the opportunites to achieve sustainability and the savings possible. | |
| Economic or policy implications of entry: Currently, PlanetReuse is working with non-governmental regulatory organizations to re-certify structural steel, wiring and HVAC equipment. PlanetReuse is also working with local government, on the city level to begin to integrate legislation to mitigate the amount of material entering the landfill from city buildings, through mandatory decommissioning reports at the end of a facilities life that a deconstruction professional must adhere to as part of a building's demolition. | |
| Explain how the entry advances lifecycle building education: The PlanetReuse.org aims to complete a buildings lifecycle. While many believe that a building's life cycle ends once it is no longer occupied or feasible for use, the amount of building materials in any facility amount to a potentially significant impact on the buildings carbon footprint if hauled off to landfills. By repurposing the materials and extending their life these materials can reduce not only the existing buildings footprint but reduce the footprint of a new facility. PlanetReuse creates three educational tools to promote reuse. The first is an online reference to the value and savings of reuse. The second is the creation of BIM's which quantify building stock and embed the approximate weight and cost of a material into the model for designers. And lastly, builds in reporting and metrics for each project that involves reuse. | |
| Additional information: PlanetReuse.org was founded by an architect and a contractor who were focused on sustainable building methodologies and had a passion for creating a free online resource for feasible material reuse. | |
Entry Metrics | |
| Explain the measurement of environmental and economic impacts of your innovation entry: PlanetReuse.org is currently tracking the amount of materials diverted from landfills by weight. This web database is also tracking costs associated with reuse that is to be compared with new material costs on an ongoing basis for users to compare to make the case for reuse. PlanetReuse will submit the overall reports on an annual basis on the site for the public to view. In a future release, it is envisioned that waste quantities will be generated by category, (i.e. concrete, glass, wood, doors, etc..) in the future. | |
| Tons of concrete reduced/conserved in your entry: 9400 tons | |
| Explanation: Currently we are sending concrete from to local flatwork companies for crushing and underlayment. | |
| Tons of wood reduced/conserved in your entry: 3000 | |
| Explanation: We are currently working with five contractors who are reclaiming framing lumber from a variety of projects and we are connecting these materials with homeowners with and without nails at half the cost of new. | |
| Tons of steel reduced/conserved in your entry: 2100 | |
| Explanation: Structural steel on the Solar 2 project in New York is currently being designed for reuse where possible. We are also connecting the building frame for a SteinMart with a limited budget museum. | |
| Tons of aluminum reduced/conserved in your entry: 500 | |
| Explanation: We are working with all of our projects to recycle aluminum and are currently reuse exterior aluminum storefront for use in interior applications. | |
| Tons of carpet reduced/conserved in your entry: | |
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| Other material: Brick and Misc | |
| Tons of other material reduced/conserved in your entry: 5120 | |
| Explanation: Bricks are being reused for building veneer, paving, landscaping and fill through PR. We are working with two cities to utilized reclaimed brick for streetscapes and two university systems to use brick veneer for (2) new construction projects. | |
| Tons of Green House Gasses Reduced: 2042 | |
| Discussion of Green House Gas reduction implications of your entry: Currently this calculation is based on the amount of fuel it takes to create new material minus the fuel it takes to relocated existing building materials. The fuel consumption calculation does not include international shipping costs (by sea) and is 203 metric tons of CO2 reduced. By calculating the amount of material diverted from landfills on weight 20,120 tons we are currently estimating a GHG reduction of 1,839 metric tons, for a total of 2,042. This calculation did not include methane, mGH, g N, g2,4-D or embodied energy (MJ). | |
| Measurement tool used to calculate GHG reduction: http://www.nerc.org/documents/environmental_benefits_calculator.html | |
| Website of GHG measurement tool used: http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html | |
| Other energy conservation features of your entry: | |