Construction & Demolition Program

Construction & Demolition Waste Recycling Program

The City of San Juan Capistrano has established a Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste Recycling Program per San Juan Municipal Code, Title 6, Chapter 3, Sections 6-3.08.01 through 6-3.08.09 to help in diverting C&D waste from landfills and also to comply with mandates of the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) and the California Green Building Standards (CalGreen). CALGreen mandates locally permitted new residential and non-residential building construction, demolition and certain additions and alteration projects to recycle and/or salvage for reuse a minimum 65 percent of the nonhazardous C&D debris generated during the project (CALGreen sections 4.408, 5.408, 301.1.1 and 301.3).

Project Compliance

Every demolition, remodeling and construction project must recycle, reuse, or divert from the landfills or disposal sites a minimum of 65% of designated recyclable and reusable materials.

"Construction and demolition debris" shall mean used or discarded materials removed from premises during construction, renovation, remodeling, repair, or demolition operations on any pavement, house, commercial or industrial building, or other structure and shall include, but not be limited to, concrete, asphalt paving, asphalt roofing, lumber, gypsum board, rock, soil and metal.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The only permitted hauler in the City is CR&R Environmental Services (877-728-0446). The collection, transportation and disposal of construction and demolition debris by a contractor, handyman, repairman or other similar service provider as an incidental part of the services provided to its customers rather than as a hauling service is permitted, provided that such solid waste is not collected by a third party hired for the primary purpose of collecting said materials, and further provided that such services comply with any ordinances, policies and regulations of the City relating to the collection of such materials (Sec 6-3.06 (d)).   

Waste Diversion Requirement

• All new construction projects
• Non-residential additions and alteration projects
• Residential additions and alterations that increase a building's footprint, volume, or size
• Non-residential and residential demolition projects associated with new construction, additions, and alterations
• Non-residential and residential excavation and grading projects (excluding agricultural grading)

Construction & Demolition Waste Plan

In order for a permit to be issued, the contractor must submit a Construction and Demolition Waste Plan application and a permit Number must have been assigned to your project. Please have the project information along with permit Number ready to answer questions on the electronic form.

Construction and Demolition Waste Plan Application (must be completed online)

Note

The Construction and Demolition Waste Plan Application is not used to request a refund on a deposit that has already been paid. To request a refund on your construction project in order to schedule final inspection, please follow the Construction and Demolition Refund Request instructions below.

Construction & Demolition Refund Request (Final Report & Compliance)

Within sixty (60) days following the completion and finalization of a permit involving demolition or construction, the contractor shall submit documentation to the Solid Waste Coordinator, which proves compliance with the requirements of Section 6-3.08.01 of Chapter 3 of Title 6 of the San Juan Capistrano Municipal Code. Any deposit posted pursuant to Section 6-3.08.04 shall be forfeited if the permittee does not meet the timely reporting requirements of Section 6-3.08.09. (Ord. Number 1093).

In order to request a Construction and Demolition bond refund, the following form and receipts must be completed and emailed to cd@sanjuancapistrano.org:

• Construction and Demolition Final Report and Compliance (PDF) (Form must be completed in it's entirety. This PDF form has a formula built in to automatically compute the calculations of diversion percentage.)
• Copies of weight receipts and other acceptable documentation (Please scan or take clear photos of receipts/documents)

C&D Management Tips

• Determine recycling, salvage, reuse and disposal options before the job begins
• Consider deconstruction instead of mechanical demolition
• Reuse materials such as fixtures and doors
• Donate materials that can be reused to charities and nonprofit agencies
• Place advertisements in local newspapers announcing salvageable and reusable materials for sale or donation
• Choose a recycling facility based on its fees and geographic proximity to your job site
• Educate contractors regarding your waste management plan
• Clearly identify recycling areas with large signs
• Place recycling bins in areas that will minimize misuse or contamination by employees and the public
• To assure full compliance and refund of your Construction & Demolition deposit, contact CR&R Environmental Services for Construction & Demolition drop off bin service, (877)728-0446.