February 2026

Talking Trash with TVCR: The Cost of Construction Waste

By: Teton Valley Community Recycling

The construction industry is booming across our valley. With construction comes waste and sometimes demolition. Based on data from Teton County Solid Waste (TCSW), we can estimate that 30% of the waste that enters the Transfer Station is from construction and demolition (C&D) projects. As we’ve discussed in this column, every truckload of waste headed to the landfill costs the County an average of $2,129, and TCSW sends out an average 46 truckloads per month. 

C&D waste has a few attributes that make it more expensive to haul than household waste: it is heavier, bulkier, and it doesn’t fill trucks as densely. Furthermore, C&D waste consists of materials that are often reusable. For these reasons, it’s important (both financially and environmentally) to try and keep as much C&D waste from being hauled to the landfill as possible. TCSW has a few systems that aim to do just that: 

1. C&D Pit: TCSW shares the Transfer Station property with the County’s Road and Bridge Department. The unused portion of the property is mined for gravel, and the resulting hole is utilized by TCSW to bury C&D waste locally. This local pit cuts down on the environmental and economic costs associated with hauling C&D waste to Madison County. 

2. The C&D Sorting Pad: The sorting pad allows Transfer Station employees to pick through unsorted loads of C&D waste. They can separate materials and bring them to the correct areas: the metal pile, the wood pile, or the C&D pit. The sorting pad was built in 2024 with grant money won by TVCR. In 2025, the sorting pad kept 560 tons of material out of the landfill and saved TCSW an estimated $74,403.

3. Tipping Fees: TCSW financially incentivises customers to sort their waste. While sorted waste costs only $15/ton at the scale, unsorted landfill bound waste costs $350. This incentivizes residents and businesses to sort their waste, but oftentimes, contractors pass this cost off to clients. 

4. Salvaging: Community members are welcome to come salvage at the wood, metal and C&D piles every Friday. In 2025, salvagers saved 350 tons of C&D waste from the landfill, saving the County an estimated $46,501. 

So, what can you do to cut down on C&D waste? If you hire contractors for building projects, please ask them to sort the waste from your project and provide receipts. If you do your own DIY projects, remember to budget time for sorting your own waste. And if you need lumber or metal for a project, come salvage on Fridays before buying new materials. There is plenty of good quality lumber and metal. Do you have a story of something you built with materials from salvage day? Please email us at info@tetonrecycling.org. We’d love to use your story to inspire others.