Dive Brief:
- Detroit-based builder Walbridge is making strides toward its sustainability goals on a major Ford manufacturing project with the help of a climate-focused startup.
- Walbridge has partnered with Woodchuck, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to support its waste reduction efforts, according to a March 24 news release. The two companies are collaborating as Walbridge constructs auto builder Ford’s forthcoming manufacturing facility in Marshall, Michigan, known as the BlueOval Battery Park.
- In the first three months of the partnership on the Ford project, Walbridge achieved 40% of the job's projected materials-related savings, according to the news release. Over the course of the project, Woodchuck aims to divert 8,000 tons of wood and 1,000 tons of cardboard, plastic and metal from landfills.
Dive Insight:
Ford’s $2.5 billion BlueOval project, which broke ground in 2023, is on track to open in 2026, according to a December article from local outlet News Channel 3. Walbridge improved through the first quarter by diverting thousands of tons of wood, cardboard, plastic and metal; shrinking waste and landfill dependency and reducing costs, according to the release.
Woodchuck’s program uses artificial intelligence to sort different kinds of refuse on a jobsite — namely, wood, cardboard, plastic and metal. Once those components are sorted, they can then be turned into biomass such as compost, per the company’s website.
On the Ford project, Walbridge has used Woodchuck’s platform to track, report and validate the diversion of those materials with minimal onsite labor via integration into the builder's existing workflows, per the release.
“Our partnership with Woodchuck has been a game-changer," said Ross Linton, group vice president at Walbridge, in the news release. "In just a few short months, they've helped us transform our waste process to one that's measurable, trackable, and easily managed.”
Because the Woodchuck platform is designed for large, multi-phase construction programs, the improvements can be replicated at scale, according to the news release.
“Transparent and real-time communication allows our team to adapt quickly to changing material waste streams on the ground,” said Sander Mathijs, Walbridge sustainability manager, in the release. “Detailed information about each load provides complete visibility not only into what is diverted from a landfill, but also into its end destination and intended use, delivering transparency and enabling measurable sustainability outcomes.”
Sustainability has remained a key focus for contractors, driven by demands from project owners who want greener, less carbon-intensive spaces for their employees. Meta, for example, is turning to mass timber to build more sustainable data centers amid the sector’s red-hot rush. In addition, commerce giant Amazon plans to use its delivery facility in Elkhart, Indiana, as a sustainability lab with more than 40 initiatives.
