From rowhouse renovations to large-scale development, construction activity reshapes Philadelphia every day. But what happens to the materials left behind after a building project? Construction and demolition debris, from wood and drywall to metal and concrete, is one of the city’s largest waste streams and one of its most powerful opportunities to build circular systems. How these materials are handled after they leave a job site shapes everything from building costs and landfill reliance to whether materials are properly managed or illegally dumped.
In this episode, Candice Lawton and Sam Wittchen take listeners inside the fast-moving, behind-the-scenes world of construction and demolition material recovery. They speak with Alan Burns of Richard S. Burns & Company about what it takes to run a high-throughput, multi-generation recycling operation and how Burns has designed and built its own equipment and processing innovations to increase material recovery rates and keep resources in circulation at scale. The conversation continues with Fern Gookin, Director of Sustainability at Revolution Recovery, who explains how her team tackles some of the region’s most challenging mixed loads, processes thousands of tons of debris each day and builds the downstream partnerships that turn recovered materials into reliable circular outcomes.
As development continues across Philadelphia, this episode highlights why construction and demolition waste sits at the center of the city’s circular economy potential and how innovation, infrastructure and collaboration are reshaping what happens to the built environment after demolition day.
Featured
Richard S. Burns & Company A second-generation, Philadelphia-based construction material recycling facility serving contractors across the region. Burns & Company receives, sorts and processes construction and demolition debris, recovering wood, metal, concrete and other materials for reuse and recycling. The company has developed proprietary processing equipment and technologies to increase recovery rates and reduce reliance on landfill disposal. Learn more at burnscompany.net.
Revolution Recovery A regional leader in construction and demolition recycling, Revolution Recovery specializes in processing mixed C&D loads and separating materials into high-value recovery streams. Their work keeps thousands of tons of debris in circulation each day while strengthening downstream markets and local recycling infrastructure. Learn more at revolutionrecovery.com.
To learn more about the circular economy and support Circular Philadelphia’s work to transform waste and resource systems for all, visit circularphiladelphia.org.
