San Antonio’s Deconstruction & Circular Economy Program
The parts and pieces of buildings have value. Let’s put them to good use.
Construction and demolition waste is the largest single-stream source of refuse in the United States - more than double the amount thrown into household trash bins.*
The Deconstruction & Circular Economy Program is focused on developing interdisciplinary, community-focused policies and partnerships to advance building material recovery and reuse, including San Antonio’s first deconstruction ordinance, adopted in September 2022.
*Source: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2017 report
What is deconstruction?
Deconstruction is the systematic disassembly of a structure in the opposite order it was constructed in order to maximize the salvage and reuse of building materials. Often referred to as “unbuilding” or “reverse engineering,” deconstruction is a mechanical demolition alternative that offers myriad environmental, cultural, and social benefits to the community.
Learn why this is an important consideration for San Antonio specifically by watching our Deconstruction Spotlight Series below.
What is the circular economy?
According to the EPA, a circular economy reduces material use, redesigns materials to be less resource intensive, and recaptures “waste” as a resource to manufacture new materials and products. This is in contrast to a linear economy, or a take-make-waste economy, that mines raw materials to process into products that are thrown away after a single use. By and large, we currently operate within a linear economy. In fact, only about 9% of materials made annually worldwide are recovered for reuse.
A circular economy represents a fundamental shift to systems and policies that support repair, reuse, and resource sharing. Just like the movement to reduce plastic waste by using reusable water bottles, the growing deconstruction movement aims to reduce construction and demolition waste by reusing materials that already exist in our communities, as well as designing new structures with the end in mind - or ones that can be disassembled and reused in the future.
We recommend exploring Build Reuse, All For Reuse, and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation for more information on national and international efforts to reuse more and waste less in the built environment.
Reuse Workforce
Deconstruction is an employment multiplier and a cornerstone of a just, sustainable workforce. Take a quick look at San Antonio's building materials reuse ecosystem and learn how reuse can be a driver for workforce development.
Featuring:
Mayor Ron Nirenberg, City of San Antonio
Kirt Haeberlein, Pickers Paradise,
Emily Lowry, local salvage contractor
James Cooper, Project Quest
Cultural Heritage
Like an organ donor, an older building may have reached the end of its life, but its parts and pieces can give new life to dozens of other structures. Learn how deconstruction and reuse plays an integral role in not only the preservation quality building materials, but the continuity of our neighborhoods and communities.
Featuring:
Mayor Ron Nirenberg, City of San Antonio
Jim Bailey, AIA, Alamo Architects
Sustainability
Fostering a local circular economy for building materials is a key way to reduce landfill waste. Learn how deconstruction and reuse contributes to goals in the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and the development of a healthy community.
Featuring:
Mayor Ron Nirenberg, City of San Antonio
Shanon Miller, Office of Historic Preservation
David McCary, City Manager’s Office / Solid Waste Management Department
Read all about the City’s deconstruction ordinance, including requirements, contractor information, resources, and more.
Why Deconstruction?
Treasure in the Walls: Reclaiming Value Through Material Reuse in San Antonio
Published in February 2021 and funded through a solid waste management grant provided by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) via the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG), this report outlines the economic and environmental costs of demolition, the impact of a deconstruction ordinance, opportunities for local workforce development, and proposes next steps for San Antonio's deconstruction policy efforts in the wake of COVID-19.
Contractor Training
The Office of Historic Preservation hosts Certified Deconstruction Contractor Training annually for those interested in entering the deconstruction field professionally. Learn more about a recent training in partnership with the San Antonio River Authority.
Deconstruction Think Tank
The Office of Historic Preservation hosted a Deconstruction Think Tank on February 9-11, 2020. Municipal government representatives and reuse retail experts from Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta convened to discuss best practices for the reclamation, salvage, and reuse of building materials to reduce waste and meet carbon reduction targets.
Material Circularity for Sustainable Cities Lecture
As part of the Deconstruction Think Tank, a public lecture was hosted at AIA San Antonio on February 10, 2020, to share the process and outcomes of Portland’s Deconstruction Ordinance, the first of its kind in North America. Shawn Wood of the City of Portland and David Greenhill of Good Wood presented to a standing-room-only audience.
Pardoned from the Landfill
On November 19, 2019, Sally the Salvaged Turkey was pardoned from the landfill by Mayor Ron Nirenberg at Solar Fest! Meet Sally and read the “proclamation” here.