Develop a Waste Management and Recovery Plan

"Reduce and reuse are the big words for remodeling," says Peter Yost, author of "Waste: A Field Guide for Remodelers." The guide offers tips for setting up a waste management and recovery plan:

1. Know what you throw away and how much it costs. A general sense of the types and quantities of waste materials generated on your job sites and the dollars spent to dispose of these materials provides a good starting point.
2. Understand the conditions affecting waste management decisions: Homeowner preferences, size and duration of projects, site conditions, local tipping fees and availability of outlets affect waste-management decisions. Keep in mind that waste-management decisions are somewhat site-specific -- a plan that works at one job site may not work as well at others.
3. Establish a plan. Note that different options will involve working with different partners. For example, waste reduction through efficient framing may involve carpenters and possibly the architect or estimator. Building material reuse, alternately, may involve the homeowner and a building material reuse center.

"Waste Management and Recovery: A Field Guide for Remodelers" makes a handy addition to the glove box of any truck. To order, go to the NAHB Research Center’s Web site, www.nahbrc.org and click on the online bookstore.