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PENN STATE’S ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE ADDS CEILING
RECYCLING TO ITS ROSTER OF ‘GREEN’ PRACTICES
Program Enables University to Reclaim Old Ceilings from
Renovation Projects Rather than Dumping Them in a Landfill
The Pennsylvania State University’s colors are blue and white, but it is
the school’s commitment to “green” building practices and other environmental
strategies that is causing other colleges and universities to take notice.
“We’re not trying to change the world here, just our part of it,” states
Graham Spanier, President of Penn State. “But, we do want to take a leadership
role in this effort nationally and globally.”
The school’s commitment is embodied in a unique program called the
Environmental Stewardship Initiative. Managed by Steve Maruszewski, Deputy
Associate Vice President for the Office of Physical Plant, and comprised of a
team of ten managers and directors that cuts across university functions, the
Initiative has as one of its objectives to move the university toward more
sustainable practices.
And, to help achieve that objective, the Initiative has identified as one
of its seven goals to minimize solid waste production by enhancing policies
and processes that reduce solid waste generation through reduction, reuse
and recycling.
The newest process to be implemented as part of that goal is participation
in the Ceiling Recycling Program conducted by Armstrong Ceilings, the country’s
largest manufacturer of acoustical ceiling systems.
Recycling Program Involves Four Steps
The program, which is the nation’s first and longest running program of its
kind, enables building owners to ship old ceilings from renovation projects to an
Armstrong ceiling plant as an alternative to landfill disposal. Under the program,
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-2Armstrong even pays freight costs for shipping the old tiles, which it uses as
raw materials in the manufacture of new tiles.
Since it introduced the program in 1999, Armstrong has recycled
over 35,000,000 square feet of discarded ceiling tiles. This represents nearly
24,500,000 pounds or 5,000 30-cubic-yard dumpsters full of construction waste
that would have normally been dumped in landfills.
The program involves four steps. First, provisions for ceiling recycling
should be included in the project specifications. Second, building owners need to
verify with Armstrong that their old ceiling tiles can be recycled. The old tiles do
not have to be Armstrong products to qualify for the program.
Following verification, owners must stack their old ceiling tiles on pallets
and wrap them for pick-up. Once there is a full trailer load (30,000-square-feet),
the owner simply needs to contact Armstrong, which will then arrange for a truck
to pick up the material and transfer it to its nearest manufacturing facility.
Ceiling Recycling Is a ‘Natural’ Fit
According to Al Matyasovsky, Supervisor of Central Support Services at
Penn State, the decision to recycle old ceilings was an easy one because it was
such a “natural” fit into the university’s overall program. “We are extremely
sensitive to environmental responsibility here at Penn State, and are always
looking for ways to divert materials from the waste stream,” he states.
“We already had processes in place to recycle traditional items such as
cans, bottles and paper, as well as non-traditional items such as pallets, motor
oil, scrap metal and other types of construction debris,” he continues. “As a
result, recycling ceilings was an easy and simple addition since we didn’t really
have to do anything differently other than the handling.”
Chet DeFurio, Manager of Renovation Services at Penn State, agrees.
“The process has worked out much faster and better than I ever anticipated,” he
says. “I think once our crews saw the sheer bulk of material that wasn’t going to
the landfill, they quickly realized the environmental benefits.”
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-3Recycling Offers Alternative to Landfill
The first major project to include ceiling recycling is the remodeling of the
campus’s Business Administration Building (BAB). Built in 1973, the eight-story
building houses a variety of offices and classrooms used by students, faculty and
administration. It is currently vacant as a result of the construction of a new BAB
building nearby.
“Now that everyone has moved out, it gives us the opportunity to remodel
and upgrade the entire facility for re-use,” Matyasovsky says. Included in the
demolition stage of the remodeling is the recycling of such construction waste as
the metal casings from old light fixtures, metal ceiling grid, electrical conduit, and
nearly 50,000 square feet of old 2’x 4’ acoustical ceiling tiles.
“In the past, our only alternative was to send the discarded tiles to the
landfill,” Matyasovsky continues. “Today, by participating in the Armstrong
Ceiling Recycling Program, we’re able to divert all that material from the
waste stream.”
Small Projects Also Included in Program
He also notes that a project does not have to be a large one to recycle old
ceiling tiles. “Our position has always been that responsible waste management
is not one ton or two tons at a time. It’s one aluminum can at a time, one plastic
bottle at a time, and now one ceiling tile at a time. Consequently, regardless of
whether we’re remodeling an entire building or a single classroom, we’ll recycle
ceilings whenever we can.”
According to Matyasovsky, the key to the smaller jobs has been the ability
to consolidate the old tiles. “We knew how to remove the tiles and get them out
of the building,” he says. “But, we didn’t know where we would store them.”
To solve this problem, Armstrong keeps a trailer centrally parked at the
campus as an accumulation point to facilitate the process. As tiles are removed,
they are simply loaded into it. Once the trailer is full, it is hauled away and
replaced with an empty one.
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-4Recycling Can Be Less Costly than Dumping
Time analyses show that the process for recycling ceilings is nearly as fast
as dumping them, so the program has little, if any, adverse impact on demolition
schedules. It can also be less costly than the cost of handling, transport,
container and landfill fees.
In the case of Penn State, Matyasovsky notes that while it is still too early
to definitively conduct a cost analysis, he believes the time and cost of stacking
and wrapping the discarded tiles is about the same as that of hauling them to the
transfer site. Where he believes savings will be achieved is in the elimination of
the local tipping fee, which is nearly $60 per ton.
“The tiles also contribute to our county recycling report,” he adds.
“And, this is important because as our recycling tonnage goes up and our refuse
tonnage goes down, we can qualify for additional grant money from the state,
which helps support our total recycling program.”
However, while cost is a consideration, it is, by no means, the only one.
“As a university, we want to remove as much as we can from the waste stream,
and recycling ceilings is just one more example,” Matyasovsky concludes. “This
was an excellent opportunity and we wanted to take full advantage of it.”
11/06
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Photo Captions:
Recycle Image #PSU (Building exterior):
The first major project on the Penn State campus to include ceiling recycling is
the remodeling of the school’s Business Administration Building (shown here).
Recycle Image #1 (Removing ceiling tiles):
Old ceiling tiles from the Business Administration Building are being reclaimed as part
of the Armstrong Ceiling Recycling Program rather than being dumped in a landfill.
Recycle Image #2 (Stacking ceiling tiles):
Following removal from the ceiling, old tiles are stacked on pallets. The old
ceiling tiles do not have to be Armstrong products to qualify for the program.
Recycle Image #3 (Wrapping ceiling tiles):
Once stacked, the tiles are shrink wrapped for pick-up. Since it introduced the program
in 1999, Armstrong has recycled over 35,000,000 square feet of discarded ceiling tiles.
Recycle Image #4 (Loading ceiling tiles):
Once there is a full trailer load of old ceilings, Armstrong will arrange for a
truck to pick up the material and transfer it to its nearest manufacturing facility.
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