US cities see 'urban mining' potential in building deconstruction

Workers taking apart a commercial building as part of a deconstruction project in Palo Alto, California, in 2019. Photos: Zero Waste Palo Alto/Thomson Reuters Foundation

The cavernous Maryland warehouse housing Community Forklift bulges with doors, windows, flooring and light fixtures, some lightly used, some more so, but all for sale at big discounts.

Dozens of customers browsed the wares on a recent weekday morning at the East Coast store in the United States, part of a growing drive to keep building materials out of landfills and in the economy – with important climate, sustainability and social benefits.