November 16, 2000

Recycling at Work!
University Memorial Center focuses on “Green” Building Practices

Contact: Kristi Graham, 303-735-2603 or Marianne Moulton, 303-492-8307

The expansion and renovation of the University Memorial Center is well underway and will prove to be an environmentally-friendly building when completed.

Already, the UMC construction project has made a positive environmental impact in that over 1.2 million pounds of construction and demolition waste have been kept out of the landfill and recovered for reuse and recycling. “The recovered materials include aluminum, bricks, concrete, copper, steel, and wood. The materials all have gone to local markets and are being made back into raw materials,” explains Carlos Garcia, Director of the University Memorial Center and manager of the building project.

The efforts to recover these materials have proven quite efficient and cost-effective. CU has saved money by avoiding disposal costs and conserved natural resources by putting the recycled materials back into use. “The UMC construction and demolition waste recovery project is the first major effort of its kind to take place on the CU-Boulder campus. Its success is setting a template that future campus building projects will emulate,” explains Jack DeBell, Director of CU Recycling. In the United States, construction and demolition waste constitutes approximately 20 to 25 percent of the waste stream. Thanks to UCSU, Mortenson, Facilities Management, and the UMC Project Team, the UMC’s recovery efforts are helping to reverse this national trend.

Once the demolition phase is complete and construction begins, the project will maintain its commitment to sustainability. The building’s design features energy efficiency and daylighting. The materials to be used will be environmentally-friendly, such as recycled-content carpets, bamboo flooring, and low-VOC paints. Upon completion of the expansion and renovation, the project intends to attain a “silver” rating from the US Green Building Council.