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Keeping Newcomb Debris Out of Landfills

Back in December, a story on our W&L news site related the efforts being made to get LEED certification for both the Newcomb Hall renovation and the new construction of Hillel House. A major focus for the Newcomb project was its waste management program, where the original goal had been to divert 75 percent of all the construction and demolition debris from landfills.

Tom Kalasky, director of design and construction at W&L, explained that the waste from Newcomb consists of four basic products — cardboard, metal, wood and concrete (including brick and stone) — that were being removed from Newcomb, trucked first to a waste-recycling center created on the north end of campus and then taken to a Richmond firm where they were processed.

Through last November, that process had resulted in 84 percent diversion. The latest figures, as of Feb. 1, show that number holding steady at 84 percent, way above the target. Thus far, the project has generated 148.14 tons of total construction and demotion debris. Of that total, 123.7 tons have been diverted from landfills.