Despite demolition's long history as a means to dismantle an outdated structure, with more and more regularity, reuse winning out in the deconstruction industry. In the province of Alberta where only 10 percent of materials are reused, companies will have to pay if they don't recycle demoltion waste.

Because of its ability to reduce carbon footprint, cut into resource use, and to halve the bottom line, reuse of construction materials has rapidly overcome the throwaway culture among American contractors. Reuse of concrete, wood, glass and other materials has long provided contractors a source of income outside the invoices they hand their employers.

But by modernizing their means of destruction, these companies are not only able to save dollars that would have otherwise been spent on rubble, but also to preserve existing infrastructure. While newer technologies promise decreased resource use, the fact remains that employing currently existing infrastructure saves time and money for contractors. As high-end technology trickles down, the gains will only increase over time.