Waste Reduction Week 2005

“All the buildings rebar was recycled, and all the structural steel is recycled car bodies.” - Tim Coldwell, Chandos project manager

Founded in 1980, Chandos Construction is an employee-owned business that was able to divert over 98% of project waste away from landfills at no additional cost.

In 2004, Chandos completed Edmonton's St. John Ambulance building, fulfilling the client's desire for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, an American standard for “green” building design and construction. St. John Ambulance's priorities were to reduce operational costs by 50%, compared to a similar-sized non-LEED building.

In order to comply with LEED certification standards, Chandos engaged in waste reduction through every aspect of construction. “All the building's rebar was recycled, and all the structural steel is recycled car bodies,” says Chandos project manager Tim Coldwell. To manage the site's own waste, Chandos set up different bins to separate the waste materials – wood, plastic, aggregate and steel – for shipping later to recycling depots. “There's no difference in cost,” says Coldwell. “The superintendent has to police things a little closer at first, but really there's no extra labour required. It's just extra bins. Instead of one big bin, there's a number of smaller ones. In the case of steel, the depot actually paid us.” The depot purchases scrap steel, turning what has the potential to be landfill waste into a useful resource.

Chandos found the St. John's Ambulance project to be a great exercise in green planning. By requesting LEED standards and working with Chandos, St. Johns Ambulance is in a win-win situation. It has an energy-efficient building that will reduce operating costs and the organization is contributing to a healthy environment.