In the US, up to 40 percent of solid waste is construction and demolition debris, and only 35 to 45 percent of this debris actually makes it into properly designated landfills. The vast majority of this waste is from renovation and demolition, so there is a strong need to deconstruct buildings rather than bulldoze them, so that materials can be reused. This means that buildings should be designed to make deconstruction easier.
In South Africa there is a nascent industry in crushing concrete for reuse, and salvaging bricks for resale. Some of this activity is creating jobs in the informal sector for enterprising individuals who sell bricks at the side of the road, but demolition companies have been selling timber, windows, doors and other building fittings for a number of years. In fact, some of these sell at a premium, satisfying market demand for older building items.
