Glossary

Asset recovery - The process of sustainable demolition where the valuable materials of a building or structure are extracted for future use or recycling.

Commercial dismantlement - The professional demolition of a commercial property or business in which all of the valuable materials and component pieces are extracted and kept intact for future use or recycling.

Contractor - Any number of professional tradesmen who build, repair, renovate, restore, demolish or dismantle structures and buildings.

Dismantling - The careful and purposeful breaking down of the component pieces of a building or structure with the intent of removing the valuable metals, lumber, wires, plumbing and any other salvageable material for recycling or future use. 

Green demolition – The practice of salvaging and recycling a majority of construction materials from building demolition sites including wood, metal, asphalt, concrete and glass. This saves landfill space and protects natural resources.

Industrial dismantlement - The careful demolition strategy of large scale plants, factories and warehouses in which all valuable asset materials and equipment is salvaged or recycled for profit or future use.

Landfill – A site for the disposal of various waste materials either by a single user or multiple waste producers.

Printing press salvage - The dismantling of antique and modern printing presses and equipment that are made from valuable metals that can be sold to professionals and collectors in the printing business or as raw materials to metal recycling plants.

Recycling center - Any center or plant that takes in or purchases salvaged materials. Demolition and removal companies supply recycling centers with much of their inventory and it has become a very lucrative business for modern, sustainable demolition companies.

Recycled metal – Any salvageable metals from a demolition site that can be reused for future building projects, or recycled for profit at salvage yards, recycling centers or to independent contractors. Common metals that are extracted and recycled are copper, aluminum, steel, brass and iron. This metal can come in many forms, including wire, plumbing, framing and equipment.

Recycled wood - Wood from demolition or dismantled structures that can be reused in future building projects or recycled for profit.

Removal fees - Fees associated with demolition contracts that involve the hauling away of waste material or rubble from a demolition site. Sustainable demolition companies who focus on asset recovery minimize this fee by recycling and salvaging materials from the site for profit or future use. 

Salvage - Any material in a demolition project that can be extracted and reused, recycled or resold for profit. Sustainable demolition companies are able to outbid other companies for jobs based on their ability to deduct a percentage of the cash flow created from salvaged materials from their quotes.

Salvage yard - A center where salvaged materials can be bought and sold. Sustainable demolition companies who practice dismantlement and recycling can supply these centers with materials and use the profits gained as leverage in offering affordable bids on demolition contracts. 

Salvaged lumber - Lumber that is able to be extracted from demolition sites and recycled or reused for future projects. Sustainable and environmentally conscious demolition companies carefully dismantle lumber from sites and resell it for profit in order to save their clients costs of demolition and help protect the environment. 

Scrap metal - All of the metals in a building that is to be torn down, including but not limited to copper, steel, aluminum and brass. These metals are valuable and can be recycled, resold for profit or reused for future building projects and applications. 

Sustainable demolition - An eco-conscious and environmentally friendly method of taking down a structure where materials are looked at as assets rather than waste, and can be removed or dismantled carefully in order to retain their value and integrity for future use or profit.

Tipping fees – The fees charged by the landfill operator, who can be either private or municipal, to a producer of waste who uses the site for disposal. These per-ton fees are used to pay for management, operations, hazardous waste disposal and personnel.