Deconstructing Victoria Ward 
Owner of Island Demo Inc., Mike Leary is not only trying to make money, he's trying to do what we all should be doing, save our precious land. You can be environmentally conscious, says Leary. That's easy. I'm environmentally conscious. Be environmentally active. Do something. That's all you gotta do. 
Do something. Start with something. If you're a contractor and you are throwing away anything that can be recycled in the landfill, then I can't help you. 
On one recent deconstruction project, Leary helped to save over 1 acre of land for the public. And, at the same time, he saved himself $55,000 in dump fees. Victoria Ward Ltd. hired Leary to tear down and remove their well-known Kakaako landmark Ja Ja Fashions Building and six other structures. We were to demo 240,000 square-feet of buildings, roads, concrete, everything, says Leary. A $42 million multiplex theater is replacing it he adds. In 51 days, Island Demo tore down seven buildings ranging in size from 180x240 square-feet to 20x20 square-feet. It recycle 185 tons of concrete and recycled 468 tons of metal. | |
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Local laws now require businesses to recycle, but how do you set up intelligent recycling systems that will save your company money? The Partnership for the Environment offers resources, guides, technical assistance, a speakers bureau and a growing coalition of business leaders willing to share their expertise to assist other businesses. The Partnership is coordinated by the City & County of Honolulu Recycling Office. For more information and to become a partner, call 527-5335 or go to our new web site at www.opala.org.
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With a few short telephone-calls Leary had found people wanting products from the deconstruction site. Fifty-one tons of various metals plus pipe, glass, doors, cabinets and flooring went to a Big Island site. Eighteen tons of recyclable products went to a Plant Research & Development location in Waimanalo. Victoria Ward themselves kept lights, fixtures, sinks, doors, associate light switches, glass, ceiling panels, railing, carpet and an alarm system. Two 20-foot Matson containers filled with various wood floor joists went to Tonga. Leary himself got to keep plants and selected I-beams. And, a University of Hawaii teacher who happened to pass the deconstruction site received a steel staircase. 
Total tons to the job were 1,386 tons, leaving 746 tons of salvage, Leary says. You take 640 tons to the landfill and subtract that from the total, what you've got left is 53 percent salvage. Figures provided by the City say that Oahu's contractors generate as much as 500,000 tons of construction waste each year. The good news adds Suzanne Jones, Recycling Coordinator for the City & County of Honolulu, is that about 50 percent of it is now being recycled. But, Leary says there are demo companies that still go into an office building; gut it out, put everything into a rollout can and send it to the landfill. You gotta stay on top of it, Leary says. How to deconstruct a building is a critical deal. You have to have really good operators who can separate material as you go. And, you have to understand that there is a value in the recyclable material. That's all. |
