Three Ways To Get Back The Money Spent On Green Demolition
Whether you're required to do it by local regulations or whether you're doing it because your business values include caring for the environment, there's no getting around the fact that disassembling a building a little at a time is much more labor-intensive than simply blowing it up. However, there are several ways to mitigate the added cost. Here are three ways you can work on getting that money back.
1. Use your momentum to get green certifications and grants
Green demolition isn't the only standard you need to adhere to in order to get your buildings LEED certified, but it's definitely one of them. And if you're a green company you're probably already quite far along the road to qualifying for certification. This certification can be very valuable to your green business, so consider taking the extra steps needed to gain certification and you'll be able to gain more business from eco-conscious customers. There are also grants available for green businesses, and you can use your green demolition efforts as proof that you really care about the environment.
2. Getting more money back from the government
Getting tax credits for the reused materials that result from your demolition process is another way to pay yourself back for the effort. Many green building and green energy efforts can be paid back by tax credits that directly cover the cost, or part of it (at least in some states) but getting paid back for green demolition is slightly more roundabout: you reclaim the materials from the building being demolished, contribute them to charity, get a receipt, and then use that as a charitable donation write-off at tax time. This means that the more you can salvage and donate, the more money you can save at tax time.
3. Sell instead of paying
With traditional demolition, you have to pay landfill fees if you want to get rid of the resulting debris. And some landfills even charge higher rates for demolition debris than for normal trash. But if you reclaim the building materials, you can save money on landfill fees because you'll have much less material to dump. And in addition, if you have the right sort of materials to reclaim, you may even be able to find someone in the area who will buy them from you so that you'll make even more money than you would if you donated the materials to charity.
