|
The construction industry is the UK's largest consumer of natural resources using over 400 million tonnes of material per annum. It generates more than one-third of the UK's waste, of which only half is currently reused or recycled. Every year more than 60 million tonnes of construction waste is sent to landfill.
Every day construction sites across the UK are filling up skips and throwing materials away. The average cost of the waste in these skips is estimated to be between £1,300 and £1,500. But what’s in their skips and how much of this waste could be avoided? How much of it could be saved, re-used or recycled. Often with the right approach the amount of waste could be reduced by an estimated 50%. This could greatly reduce construction site waste.
Find out the true cost of a skip-load of waste online
Are construction companies wasting an opportunity?
Using materials more efficiently could help make a major reduction on the environmental impact of construction and the demand for landfill. NISP brings companies together to help them be more resource efficient, through the commercial trading of materials. One companies ‘waste’ may be another companies ‘resource’ and by bringing these companies together, the actual amount that goes to landfill can be greatly reduced.
Design for Resource Efficiency Project
The correct design for construction projects could have a great impact on reducing the generation of waste and save money. Help and advice on consumption and waste efficiency has so far been aimed at contractors and trades. Envirowise has commissioned a Design for Resource Efficiency Project that will help designers and architects. This project will investigate what practical issues architects and designers should take into consideration when planning construction design work.
The project was presented at a roundtable discussion in London in November 2009. Representatives of each of the main design disciplines were invited to attend. The discussion was hosted by Building Design Partnership on behalf of Envirowise and WRAP. Many of the design representatives were not aware of the waste tools that are available. The discussion identified a need for better and earlier communication between contractors and design teams.
Take a look at the video to find out how other designers are addressing waste in a positive way
|
