Construction and Demolition Debris Statistics: U.S., New York & the Hudson Valley (2026)
The United States generated 600 million tons of construction and demolition (C&D) debris in 2018, more than twice the amount of all household and business trash. Demolition, not new construction, creates more than 90% of it. Headline recycling rates look high, but they are driven by heavy concrete and asphalt. The materials that come out of a typical interior tear-out (wood, drywall, shingles and brick) still mostly go to landfill.
Westchester, Putnam & Dutchess Waste and Recycling Statistics (2026)
Westchester County recycled 54% of its total waste stream in 2024, well above the New York State rate of 43% and the U.S. rate of 32%. But none of the three lower Hudson Valley counties has an operating landfill. Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess send their trash to waste-to-energy plants or ship it out of the region. The nearest landfill that takes household trash from Dutchess County is about 240 miles away.
Westchester, Putnam & Dutchess Home Renovation Statistics (2026)
The typical home in Westchester County was built in 1959, more than 20 years before the typical American home. Across Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties, about 403,800 of roughly 556,000 homes (72.6%) were built before 1980, and very few new homes are being added. That makes the lower Hudson Valley one of the oldest housing markets in the country, and it means most local building work is renovation, repair and tear-out of existing homes, not new construction.