Build Forward Workshop and Expo
 Join Colorado Green Building Guild for a day of workshops and exhibitions. The Builder’s Workshop (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) will provide construction resources structured around available Xcel Energy and State of Colorado Rebates anywhere in the performance spectrum from IECC 2021 energy code up to Passive House standards.
The Expo and Open House (4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) invites the community together for food, beverages, and great company. Our keynote speaker will be followed by a happy hour featuring sponsor exhibits, a gallery of example projects, and mock-ups.
All event proceeds will be used to establish a scholarship fund for builders and building professionals participating in Marshall Fire rebuilds that are interested in additional training and certification.
Visit buildforwardexpo.com to learn more and register.
Local Youth Works to Install a New Bike Repair Station
Jakub, a youth resident and Boy Scout in Superior, is working hard to get a bike repair station installed at Autrey Park. Here are some more details about the project from Jakub:
“This will be done as my Eagle project so that I can achieve my Eagle rank this fall. The project will consist of digging out a small hole, pouring a small concrete pad and mounting the Dero bike repair stand in that concrete pad. The bike park sees a lot of traffic from residents of Superior. There have been a couple of these stands popping up throughout Boulder County, and I thought Superior could use another one near a popular bike area. There also tends to be lots of bike traffic passing by the bike park because of the bike trail going to the Highway 36 Bikeway. The repair stand will encourage more people to ride bikes and make it easier for those who already do. With the support of the Boy Scouts and the Town of Superior, I believe this will be a project that I will be proud of for years to come."
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Construction and Demolition Waste Diversion Helps Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
 Construction and Demolition Waste, or C&D, is inevitable in our rebuilding and remodeling era. How we choose to manage these materials directly impacts our climate, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), and natural resources used to manufacture and package building materials. The goal, as with any waste, is the 3 R’s: to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Here are some of the ways to minimize the environmental impact. When planning a remodeling project, contact a waste deconstruction company like Perks Deconstruction: "We take a surgical approach to demolition to maximize the salvage and recycle value of the building materials. We take apart full houses, garages, interior commercial spaces, and kitchen/baths. Then we donate materials to local nonprofits, and whatever we can't donate, we try to recycle.”
Superior resident Kathy, who had her kitchen home remodeled, asked Perks Deconstruction to take all of their appliances for reuse by others. The fridge worked great, and the microwave went to a family who lost their home in the Marshall Fire. The wood floors went to someone else. Kathy wasn’t looking for remuneration, sharing “We were given stuff when we were young; now it’s time to give to someone else.”
To reduce greenhouse gases and indoor air pollutants, Kathy swapped her gas stovetop for a new induction stove and loves it. Her old oak cabinets went to a folks’ garage for storage for kids’ toys, “You could use them to build out a basement for extending living space. You have to think that the next usage may not be in the same room.”
Perks says, “We're the experts at keeping material out of the landfill, helping clients navigate charitable tax deductions related to building donations and leaving the job-site pristine for the next contractor. We also take the lead on tracking all waste inventory and receipts so that clients can satisfy requirements from Town programs or LEED projects." The Town of Superior’s Residential Green Building Program requires 50% of construction waste to be recycled and 65% of deconstruction materials to be diverted from the landfill in new builds and complete restorations.
When ordering items for remodeling, think of installation of windows and appliances, consider the packaging that will arrive with those items, and have a plan to recycle it. The cardboard may be put in curbside recycling as long as it’s shorter than 3 ft pieces. Otherwise, it clogs the conveyor belts at the Boulder County Recycling Center. Any cardboard pieces that are reinforced with glue, like the right-angled pieces that protect the sides of large appliances during shipping, should be landfilled: the cardboard recyclers say that glue contaminates the recycling process. Plastic bags labeled with a #2 or #4 that are clean and dry may be recycled at Eco-Cycle’s Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials, also known as CHaRM. Styrofoam and metal hardware that is used to secure the appliances during shipping may also be recycled there. Any metal hardware left over during the assembly process may be donated to Resource Central’s Materials Reuse facility for sale to the public. Both CHaRM and ReSource Central are located at 6400 Arapahoe Rd. in Boulder.
According to a Boulder County news bulletin on the Marshall Fire, the following wastes were diverted from landfills:
- 64,666 tons of brick and concrete were recycled
- 2,403 tons of metal recycled
- 1,837 tons of vegetative debris recycled into biochar, a soil amendment that aids in building healthy soil biomes and retaining water for plant roots.
Learn more about how you can divert C&D wastes from landfills with information from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Potential Savings from the Inflation Reduction Act
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed earlier this month includes the U.S.'s largest ever investment to fight climate change, with approximately $370 billion committed to climate action, resilience, and innovation. What does that mean for you, your wallet, and your effort to help fight climate change? Over the next few months, this section of the newsletter will include links, resources and information to help you better understand the climate-related efforts of the IRA. Here are some places to start:
Recent Climate and Sustainability News
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