In 2005, the City of Chicago developed its Environmental Action Agenda to demonstrate its commitment to creating a healthy, smart, green city. Recently, the City of Chicago’s Department of Environment (DOE) lobbied successfully for the passage of an ordinance requiring the recycling of construction and demolition debris (C&D) from construction sites generating waste within city limits.

As of Jan. 1, 2007, contractors must recycle 50 percent of the C&D debris generated at a job site. To further the goals of the Environmental Action Agenda and this recent ordinance, the DOE is developing a material exchange Web site to facilitate the responsible reuse of C&D materials within the city.  

At any given time, the city of Chicago is involved in a large number of construction projects, generating excess soil and reusable material. Some projects may generate excavation materials such as soil, sand and crushed stone. Other projects may require just these types of materials for backfilling activities.  

In 2003, the City of Chicago began a material exchange program to facilitate the reuse of excess materials between city departments and sister agencies. Typically, these materials have consisted of suitable soils (i.e., meeting site construction requirements) that were appropriately tested for physical and chemical characteristics and reused in site remediation and redevelopment.

The city’s material exchange program has yielded significant cost savings by reducing the need for virgin material to meet state Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP) requirements, by eliminating backfill material costs and disposal fees, and by reducing duplicate transportation costs through reuse of materials.

Historically, the DOE managed the city’s material exchange program and limited it to interdepartmental material reuse. The successful execution of this exchange was challenging; efforts to match an agency or project in need of specific materials often missed the window of opportunity, typically generating unnecessary material disposal or acquisition costs.

At times, the city was paying for disposal of materials when other sites, not affiliated with any city government agencies, had a present or near future need.

As a result of this pilot program, it became clear that managing the reuse of reusable soil and other material is an inefficient process and that, without an integrated material management system, reuse of materials was limited.

The DOE’s strategy for achieving greater success for the material exchange program is to construct an accessible, searchable Web site with information about source locations, material type and windows of availability. Although the city’s material exchange program historically exchanged soils, this Web site will target a wider range of construction materials including, but not limited to, fencing, brick and landscaping.  

Through a grant awarded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Recycling Expansion and Modernization Program, the DOE was able to contract with i-WasteNot Systems for the construction of the Web site. i-WasteNot Systems is a provider of customizable material exchange Web sites that has launched similar residential and industrial waste exchanges in the United States and Canada. Once constructed, the Material Exchange Web site will be a forum for registered subscribers to post available materials, search and request material, and identify future project needs.

Through this electronic exchange, the DOE will be able to quantify the success of the program in terms of materials diverted, cost savings to both suppliers and consumers of material, and greenhouse gas emission savings.

The DOE will initially launch the Web site, managed for the city by DOE environmental engineer Leigh Peters, P.E., to city departments and sister agencies in the fall of 2007, with expansion to the private sector in 2008.  

DCEO supports this project due to the potential public economic benefits involved, including its innovative nature and the opportunity to transfer knowledge to other Illinois municipalities that may want to replicate the initiative.

Ultimately, the city would like to expand the Web site to cover other geographic regions throughout Illinois. This material exchange program strengthens Chicago’s reputation as a green city by promoting the responsible reuse and recycling of clean construction materials and by establishing a more sustainable transportation model. Additional benefits include a reduction in the volume of materials deposited in local landfills and in wear on public infrastructure.

Sadhu A. Johnston is commissioner of the Department of Environment for the City of Chicago.