by Kathy Price-Robinson It’s said that the cost of getting rid of job-site waste currently averages about half of 1% of the total cost of most jobs, or about $500 for a typical house. Given dwindling space in existing landfills and public opposition to the construction of new ones, that figure seems likely to increase. At the same time, some jurisdictions are beginning to enact “trash rationing” ordinances. A few months ago, for example, contractors in Arroyo Grande, Calif., found themselves faced with a new hoop to jump through in order to pass final inspection on their projects: to prove that they diverted 50% of their job-site waste from local landfills via reuse or recycling. Builders who don’t
