A green corner.

As much as any other part of the nation, the Pacific Northwest corner of the United States has adopted an environmentally-conscious viewpoint toward disposal and recycling.

For Snoqualmie, Wash.-based Nuprecon LP, this has meant being attentive to the handling of materials produced at its demolition jobs as well as learning about any aspects of the Green Building LEED system that may affect a demolition contractor.

Regarding the recycling of building materials and demolition debris, Nuprecon established ReNu Recycling Services in 2001. The container service allows Nuprecon to control the handling of debris to ensure that it goes to a recycling destination.

The company would ultimately like to set up its own processing facility that could eventually ensure customers of a 90 percent recycling rate, says Executive Vice President Dave Whitley. However, before that can happen concerns regarding the enforcement of solid waste franchise contracts onto building sites will have to be settled.

The ability to ensure the recycling of materials is trying into an increasing number of contracts that have LEED requirements, says Whitley, "We have been involved in LEED since its early days," he notes. "We wanted to understand what our clients want in respect to recycling and landfill diversion."

States Whitley, "This is purely good business sense. Environmental stewardship is an integral part of our industry, and we have to be leaders in that arena."