Construction and Demolition Recycling Requirements
CalGreen §4.408 and §5.408 as amended and Chapter 12.48 of the Municipal Code require that a minimum of 65 percent of a demolition or construction project's anticipated debris must be diverted from the landfill through salvage or recycling. Up to 35 percent of the diverted debris is allowed to be inerts (concrete and asphalt). Separate calculations are required for the demolition and construction portions of an applicable project.
Projects that do not meet the required 65 percent diversion rate are subject to a fine of $1.00 per square foot of the project’s referenced square footage or $1,000, whichever is greater. As an example, a 2,000 square foot demolition project that does not divert 65 percent of the waste tonnage generated from the landfill will be required to pay a $2,000 fine.
Please click on the applicable tab below to see which projects are subject to the recycling requirements.
Demolition Projects
- Residential (single-family and multifamily) demolitions projects of one thousand (1,000) square feet or greater.
- Non-residential demolition projects, (including non-residential interior demolitions).
Construction Projects
- Residential (single-family and multifamily) construction projects of one thousand (1,000) square feet or greater.
- All non-residential construction projects
Construction and Demolition Recycling Process
Applicants are required to register their project and submit a waste management plan for diverting generated materials through the City's diversion tracking system, Green Halo. Project registration and submission of the waste management plan must be completed prior to the issuance of any building permit for a construction or demolition project
Register projects for online waste diversion tracking by clicking on the link below.
Reporting
Submit original facility weight tags with the correct Menlo Park project site as the origin to Green Halo. It is very important to ensure that facility tags do not identify the debris as MSW (Municipal Solid Waste), garbage or Alternat Daily Cover (ADC) as these weights will not count towards the diversion rate and no recycling credit will be provided for these tags. Please keep weight tags from construction portion of the job separate from demolition portion to avoid confusion and delay.
Submittal of all weight tags and analysis of any fines for demolition projects is required within (60) days following the completion of the demolition.
Submittal of all weight tags and analysis of any fines for construction projects is required prior to final inspection. as stated above, Municipal code §12.48.110 requires that no certificates of occupancy or other permits or approvals relating to a project shall be issued by the city until the administrative penalty has been paid in full.
Non-Compliance
Projects that do not meet the required 65 percent diversion rate are subject to a fine of $1.00 per square foot of the project’s referenced square footage or $1,000, whichever is greater. Municipal code §12.48.110 requires that no certificates of occupancy or other permits or approvals relating to a project shall be issued by the city until the administrative penalty has been paid in full.
FAQs
Why does my demolition project have a seven day waiting period between the day that the demolition permit is issued and the date that demolition work can begin?
The waiting period is to encourage property owners and contractors to salvage materials from the job site. Salvaging is the controlled removal of reusable materials from C&D debris, for the purpose of donation or reuse.
Where can I find information on where to recycle construction debris?
A list of local Recycling Certification Institute (RCI) certified facilities is available online at greenhalosystems.com or recyclingcertification.org. The San Mateo County “Construction, Deconstruction, and Demolition Information” is also available in the City Hall lobby. Note: Only weight tags from Recycling Certification Institute (RCI) certified facilities are accepted by the City.
Do the locations suggested on the Green Halo System website or any City of Menlo Park documents provide a guarantee acceptable recycling facility will meet minimum diversion requirements?
No, the applicant must verify each facility’s reported recycling rates available at greenhalosystems.com or recyclingcertification.org.
A sub-contractor was used for the construction/demolition job. The contractor needs the original tags for tax purposes. How can I still receive recycling credit for the recycled material?
Only the images of the original tags need to be uploaded to the City of Menlo Park via Green Halo Systems (menlopark.wastetracking.com) to fulfill the Ordinance requirements. The original tags may be retained by the sub-contractor for tax purposes.
What are the weight tag requirements?
Weight tags accepted by the City of Menlo Park require the following:
- Uploaded images must be of the original weight tags issued by Recycling Certification Institute (RCI) certified facility (greenhalosystems.com or recyclingcertification.org).
- All weight tag images must be legible. The facility, tag number, weight, unit, and city of origin must all be readable.
- Each weight tag must list Menlo Park as the city of origin.
- The material weight with units must be listed on each tag.
- Tags submitted for salvage and reuse must be included material type, usage, facility (if applicable) and weight.
- A separate weight tags is required for each job site. To receive recycling credit, debris from separate project addresses cannot be delivered to the recycling facility in the same truck.
- Weight tags can only be submitted once. The same weight tag cannot be submitted for multiple project addresses or for both the construction and demolition portions of a project at a single address.
- Facility tags (and deposit request forms) must be submitted separately for each deposit (this includes construction and demolition portions of a project at a single address).
- Recycling Certification Institute (RCI) certified facilities may not use material for alternative daily cover (ADC).
It is the responsibility of the requestor to obtain the proper documentation from the salvage or recycling facility. Check your weight tags before leaving the facility. If any information is incorrect ask the facility weight master to issue a revised weight tag with the correct information.
What is the deadline for submission of the deposit refund request form?
- Demolition projects: The requestor must submit the required documentation within 60 days of completion of the demolition portion of the project.
- Construction projects: The requestor must submit the required documentation before final inspection.
Deposits will be forfeited if the applicant does not submit the required forms and proper documentation within the timelines specified.