Construction Junction - Building Material Reuse

Recycling & Resources

Recycling

Construction Junction offers recycling services for freon appliances, non-freon appliances, scrap metal, e-waste, lightbulbs/ballasts, batteries, bicycles and serves as a drop off station for the City of Pittsburgh's recycling program.  See recycling hours.

Freon Appliances

• These include air conditioners, refrigerators, and dehumidifiers.
• Construction Junction will not pick up single freon appliances (unless the appliances are part of a kitchen set donation).
• You can drop them off at CJ during business hours. Drop-off fee is $10.00
• The freon is removed and not allowed to vent into the atmosphere, where it has been linked to ozone depletion.
• Once the freon is removed, your appliance will be recycled for the scrap metals.
• Your fee supports Construction Junction continuing to offer this service.

Non-Freon Appliances

• These include dishwashers, ovens, washing machines, dryers and stoves.
• Construction Junction will not pick up single non-freon appliances (unless the appliances are part of a kitchen set donation).
• You can drop off old appliances (working or not) at CJ any time during business hours
• If your appliance is not working, it will be scrapped. If it is working, it will go into our inventory, supporting Construction Junction’s mission.

Scrap Metal

• Any steel, iron, brass, copper, aluminum can be scrapped. We have a convenient scrap dumpster located in our parking lot. Please check with staff before putting anything in the scrap dumpster.
• Access to the scrap dumpster is free.
• If you have any old rusty metal cabinets, hardware, short pieces of steel studs, etc., bring them to Construction Junction and help us reduce our disposal costs and promote recycling

E-Waste 

Construction Junction collaborates with eLoop llc to offer electronic waste (e-waste) recycling program.  Customers with e-waste should go to our e-waste kiosk, fill out an e-waste form, take the form to the cashier, and then back your vehicle up to our receiving dock.  A CJ staffperson will check your receipt and receive your e-waste items.  eLoop llc assures that materials are not exported or placed in a landfill by operating a complete recycling system that turns end of life electronics back into commodity grade materials like metal, glass and plastic.  Their goal is to prepare electronic materials for a second life in another form through the loop of activity that will keep our environment safe.  Here's what you can recycle and the associated fees:

• Desk top and laptop computers -- FREE!
• Servers -- $5
• "All in One" Unit (Computer and Monitor) -- $13
• Mice, keyboards, computer speakers, surge protectors, power strips and adapters/chargers -- $1
• Misc. PC Components (CD/Floppy/Hard Drives, circuit boards, etc.) -- $2
• TV / Monitor or LCD 15" and under -- $10
• TV / Monitor or LCD 16" to 19" -- $15
• TV / Monitor or LCD 20" to 390"-- $25
• CRT/LCD 40" or greater and Console TV (latter- in wood cabinet) -- $50
• Personal ink jet printers, scanners, faxes and shredders -- $5
• Medium office laser printers and all-in-one machines -- $10
• Floor model copiers and large laser printers -- $35
• UPS small (only one battery) -- $5
• UPS medium (more than one battery) -- $10
• UPS large (rack mountable) -- $40
• Misc. wire and cable -- FREE! 
• Telecom equipment such as phones, routers, switches and modems -- $3
• Business class routers, switches, PBX -- $5
• Small appliances (microwave, toaster, coffee maker, can opener, clock radio, hair dryer, cameras/camcorders) -- $5
• Audio/Video- Stereos, large stereo speakers (pair), amplifier, tape deck, phono, cable box, game consoles, digital cameras, VCR, DVD components -- $5
• Floppy disks, CD and DVD media -- $0.10
• Optical media, syquest, DLT, VHS tapes -- $0.25
• Cell phones/PDAs/smart phones -- FREE!

Lightbulbs and Ballasts

Construction Junction collaborates with Scott Electric to recycle a variety of lightbulbs and ballasts.  Customers with lightbulbs, ballasts or batteries (see below), should come inside Construction Junction to pay for their items first.  If you wish to recycle ballasts, you must bring them inside to be weighed by the cashier.  Bulbs and ballasts can then be taken to our donation dock where a CJ staffperson will check your receipt and receive your materials.  Here are the items that you can recycle and the associated fees:

Lightbulbs -- $1 each

• Fluorescent tubes 4' long or under
• Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs)
• Incandescant lightbulbs (includes halogen bulbs)
• Fluorescent "U" or circle lamps
• High Intensity Discharge bulbs, including High Pressure Sodium, Mercury Halide and Mercury Vapor
• ALL BULBS MUST NOT BE BROKEN OR COATED!

Ballasts-  $1 per pound, rounded up in half pound increments 

• Electronic ballasts
• Magnetic ballasts
• MUST NOT BE LEAKING!

Batteries

We recycle alkaline batteries for $.25 each.  The terminals of each battery must be taped (any tape will do).  Please pay for these at the cashier.  A CJ staffperson will then check your receipt and receive your materials.

Bicycles - Free Ride

Free Ride is not a traditional repair shop, where you drop off a bike and someone fixes it, but a bicycle educational facility.  There is that old saying “if you give a person a fish they will eat for one day but if you teach them how to fish they will eat for a lifetime.”  That is our basic philosophy at Free Ride!  We rent space from and are located in Construction Junction's building.

• Donations are what sustain our shop. 
• We are in constant need of quality bikes, parts, and tools as well as money to pay for things like rent, new tools, programs etc.
• Donations of used bicycles are accepted at Construction Junction. 

City Recycling Drop Off

Managed by the City of Pittsburgh and conveniently located in Construction Junction’s parking lot is a recycling drop off station.  What can you drop off? **PLEASE NOTE: Drop-off is only available during CJ's regular hours of operation.**

• Glass
• Cans
• Plastics (numbers 1 - 5)
• Corrugated cardboard (please flatten your boxes before arrival) 
• Coated cardboard (please flatten your boxes before arrival)
• Magazines & Catalogs
• Paperboard (for example - cereal boxes)
• Junk Mail
• Phone Books
• Hardback Books
• White office paper
• Newspaper

Latex Paints

Latex paint is not accepted at the recycling drop off station. Please do not drop any building materials or paint at the City Recycling Bins. All donations of building materials and paint need to be screened by Construction Junction before dropping them off at our loading dock.  Please see our "What We Accept" page for more information on material acceptance.