The Metro Council is considering several bills that promote the recycling of bricks, wallboard and rebar. Currently, construction debris can only be sorted in a permanent facility located in an industrial zone.
Councilman Parker Toler is sponsoring a bill that’s up for a final vote Tuesday night that allows a contractor to comb through demolition rubble on site.
“You cannot carry on recycling in a site that is not designated or zoned for it to be there. You just can’t do it. So what this does is this allows it without a contractor being in violation.”
The ordinance also allows a contractor to truck the debris to another location that’s less than a half-mile away and sort through it there.
The law change would specifically benefit the Music City Center. The new convention hall is in the demolition phase right now. But the ordinance applies to all parts of the county. Supporters of the recycling measure say it helps projects achieve LEED certification for environmentally sustainable building practices.
Currently, recycling isn’t allowed by Metro Codes on site, even if a contractor has space to comb through the rubble.
Metro Codes director Terry Cobb says the ordinance allows for sorting to be within a half mile of the site because sometimes there’s just not room on the property.
“You can’t recycle there forever, but during your project you can find an appropriate site that meets the conditions that are specific and you can have a temporary permit for project specific recycling operations.”
The new law would benefit the Music City Center, currently under construction downtown. But it also applies to any construction project throughout Davidson County, even in residential areas, so long as the property is larger than an acre.
The Metro Council has deferred a vote on two other bills that expand construction recycling. The most controversial allows permanent recycling centers to do some of their sorting outside instead of under a covered area.
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