Construction & Demolition Debris

C&D Website Photo

What is Constructions and Demolition (C&D) Waste?

C&D waste is the discarded material generated from construction and/or demolition projects. Common C&D discarded materials includes concrete, wood, drywall, and other building materials. 

In 2007, the California Building Standards Commission developed the California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) to address mandatory green building standards. CALGreen has been adopted by jurisdictions across California, including the City of Milpitas (City), and requires C&D waste management. 

CALGreen Requirements


If your project meets certain thresholds, you are required to divert a minimum of 65% of the waste from the project from landfills. In other words, 65% of all the discarded material needs to be recycled, reused, or recovered. We encourage all projects to divert as much materials as they are able to, but at the very least, you need to meet the minimum state diversion requirements. 

CALGreen applies if:

Project Type Conditions/Thresholds
Residential 
•  Newly constructed buildings
•  Addition or alteration that increases conditioned space (e.g. garage conversion, patio enclosure conversion to occupiable space,        etc.)
•  Demolition permit that is applied in preparation for a building permit that will be subject to recycling report requirements per above
Commercial
•  Any permits including demolition, MEP, grading, site improvement, building permits, etc. except below permit scope that will generate           minimal waste:
     •Equipment/rack installation only
     •Wall mounted signs only
     •Roof mounted solar panels only
     •Any permit scope that qualifies to be issued as express permits without plan review
   

Your Project, Permitting, and the Recycling Report Process

As part of the permitting process, you are required to submit a Recycling Report (Part I) for review and approval if your project meets CALGreen thresholds. We require this document to ensure that projects are managing their C&D waste material correctly. The permit will not be released without submitting these documents. 

To help in the process, you can use the following documents/forms:

  1. Construction-and-Demolition-Recycling-Report-Process-Form 2024

Authorized Haulers and Facilities

The City of Milpitas has a Franchise Agreement and waste hauling of all discarded materials (including C&D) needs to be conducted by the Franchise Hauler. Our Franchise Hauler is:
  • Milpitas Sanitation, Inc.
  • Phone: 408-988-4500

Alternatively, self-hauling of the discarded C&D materials is allowed if conducted by the owner, occupant, or resident of the property utilizing their own vehicle.

If you are self-hauling, you are allowed to take the material to any facility, but it is up to the project applicant/manager to make sure that the facilities are capable assisting them with their waste management plan to meet the CALGreen diversion requirements. We do, however, strongly encourage project applicants/managers to utilize third party certified facilities. 

Senate Bill 1383 Regulations Regarding Self Hauling

SB 1383 is a statewide effort in California to reduce organic waste disposal in landfills and address climate change. This regulation impacts all residents and businesses, including those who self-haul their waste. Specifically, Self-haulers must now separate organic waste (non-treated wood, cardboard, etc) from other types of debris. Understanding and complying with these new regulations is crucial for maintaining compliance and avoiding penalties. 

View this flyer to learn more in English or Spanish.


Questions?

Please see the Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) in the C&D Recycling Report Process Instructions document first to see if it addresses the question(s) you may have. 

If you have additional questions, you can contact the Department of Public Works- Solid Waste Program at: MilpitasRecycles@Milpitas.gov.