Wide-scale development and redevelopment creates a huge demand for materials which harms our forests while it stuffs our landfills with material that still has some use. It is time to address this as a matter of law consistent across our states, and to reduce the waste of construction and demolition materials.

Requiring firms to recycle or reuse this material is often done at the local level as part of landfill diversion programs imposed on municipalities and counties. The system is uneven and ends up creating illegal dumping and waste storage as opposed to diversion and recycling efforts.

In this campaign, we call on the legislature and the governor to work together to create a system of sanctions and tax credits which will ensure that companies do the most possible to reduce their construction material demands as well as their waste footprints.