Burns Services diverted 1.2 million tons of C&D material from landfill in five years
Burns Services worked directly with contractors to separate, process, and redirect materials into downstream recycling for reuse
Philadelphia-based recycling firm Burns Services has diverted more than 1.2 million tons of construction and demolition (C&D) material from landfills over the past five years, according to new internal data released ahead of World Recycling Day on March 18. For Burns, recycling is more than just processing materials, it's an act of recovery to transform used materials into new opportunities.
C&D materials being repurposed
The material recovery operation has processed a wide range of C&D streams between 2021 and 2025, including:
- 280,000+ tons of barrier and beneficial reuse materials
- 53,000+ tons of biomass fuel used for energy recovery
- 48,000+ tons of gypsum/plasterboard recycled from construction projects
- 13,000+ tons of cardboard
- 2,200+ tons of plastics
Much of this recovery work happens behind the scenes on construction and demolition sites across the region, where materials that would traditionally be landfilled are instead separated, processed, and redirected into downstream recycling and beneficial reuse markets.
Burns Services recycles a wide range of materials at its Philadelphia location, including clean concrete, clean plasterboard, clean wood, and construction and demolition waste. With four decades of experience, the company is uniquely positioned to make a positive impact in the recycling and recovery of waste and materials.
