Partners Team Up To Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Home for Library Project
Just days after the nation celebrates Earth Day 2013, three area organizations will embark on a major project to reduce, reuse and recycle – with a twist.
In a first-ever partnership, the Springfield-Greene County Library District, Ozarks Green Building Coalition and Habitat for Humanity will coordinate deconstruction of a house at 1911 E. Wayland Drive to make way for the future Brentwood Branch Library renovation. Several private businesses are also donating services for the demolition project.
· 10 a.m. Saturday, April 27, for interior items including cabinets, plumbing and light fixtures, interior trim, doors, storm windows, hot water heater, carpet, fireplace brick and paneling.
· 10 a.m. Saturday, May 4, for exterior items including windows and exterior doors, framing lumber, garage door, chain link fencing and landscaping items.
“This is still a livable house that doesn’t need to be taken down, so reusing and reclaiming it wisely is the more responsible thing to do,” said Korina Branson, Ozarks Green Building Coalition vice president. Her group will calculate the amount of materials reused or recycled and saved from the landfill after the Wayland project is complete, she said.
Habitat volunteers are currently reclaiming materials from the historic Vandivort building in downtown Springfield, where owner Billy McQueary plans to build a 50-room hotel. He is working toward a LEED-certified development. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a voluntary, consensus-based, market-driven program that provides third-party verification of green buildings. Habitat’s ability to salvage usable materials will help toward McQueary’s LEED application. McQueary will receive a tax-deductible receipt for those items he provided to Habitat.
Habitat volunteers also deconstructed a home on property where Matt O’Reilly planned to build a new house. A contractor estimated it would cost about $8,000 to demolish the home. Instead, a Habitat crew removed all the reusable light fixtures, carpet, insulation, door jams and cabinets. Afterwards, an Amish family reclaimed most of the building materials. O’Reilly’s total cost was $3,000, and only one dumpster of non-recyclable materials went to the landfill, O’Reilly said.
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The Ozarks Green Building Coalition is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 2007. The mission is to promote green building by increasing public and professional knowledge and awareness of the benefits of green building. Members include building, engineering and design trades professionals and their organizations, local governments and environmental and conservation groups.
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian ministry that has helped to build or repair more than 600,000 affordable houses, serving more than 3 million people worldwide through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials.
The Springfield-Greene County Library District includes 10 library branches and a bookmobile, the Mobile Library, serving all residents of Greene County.
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