Pensacola Firm Recycles Tons of Construction Debris
Pensacola firm recycles tons of construction debris, creates six jobs
An innovative Pensacola firm recently passed the 1 million pound mark with material it recycles from construction waste that otherwise would clutter landfills.
Lifecycle Containers Inc. also has created six new jobs for workers who identify, sort, transport and recycle construction waste into useful products. Cardboard, for instance, is recycled into concrete forms on other construction jobs. Asphalt and asphalt shingles are converted into roadway material; concrete becomes riprap for seawalls; lumber is donated to a nonprofit group.
Lifecycle Container’s founder is passionate about using creative techniques to protect the environment and reduce waste.
“ This passion led me to tackle the huge issue of construction waste needlessly clogging our landfills,” said Allen Bounds, one of the first architects in Florida to become an accredited LEED professional (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). “This issue combined with my desire to create new jobs and do my part to bolster Pensacola’s economy led me to form Lifecycle.”
Bounds started recycling construction debris as a hobby in the late 1990s, but the business became so strong that he incorporated in 2010. The company keeps a sense of fun with its mission – naming its trucks LoLo and Bully and its cardboard-baler Cookie Monster.
It specializes in collecting and converting construction waste from medium-sized commercial buildings and renovations as well as residential additions and renovations.
Lifecycle gets high marks from Christopher Pelt, a project manager for Greenhut Construction Co., which is using Lifecycle while working on building projects for Sacred Heart Hospital.
“The cost is competitive with regular disposal services, so the right thing for any prudent person is to use these services if he cares about recycling materials,” Pelt said.
Pelt said Lifecycle provides “impeccable service” as Greenhut and Sacred Heart move away from the old custom of simply throwing away construction debris. Two Sacred Heart projects already have diverted more than 140,000 pounds of construction debris from the landfill and “we are just getting started,” Pelt said.
In addition to Greenhut and Sacred Heart, Lifecycle also works with Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, Pensacola Sanitation Department, Escambia County Solid Waste Department, the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Green Globes and the United States Green Building Council.
Bounds said he specifically chose to locate the business and its warehouses inside the city limits because he is eager to bolster Pensacola’s economy.
Photo Attached: Allen Bounds recycles construction debris, creates jobs.
