With landfill space running out, what measures can be taken by the construction industry to minimise waste and re-use rubbish? And how realistic are zero waste to landfill policies for the construction industry?
Total construction and demolition waste for England was estimated at 77.4 million tonnes in 2010. As a major resource generator, consumer and producer of waste, it is crucial that the construction industry finds a means of designing, building and managing waste that will allow it to meet eventual government targets of zero waste to landfill and contribute to the sustainability agenda. We ask two construction professionals for their comments:
Mat Lown, Head of Sustainability at Tuffin Ferraby Taylor (TFT)
Is zero waste to landfill a realistic target? I think it is and we are already very close to achieving that. At the refurbishment of Hollywood House in Woking, Surrey – around 90% of site waste was either reused or recycled.
There are now various businesses geared up to reduce waste with many demonstrating innovative approaches:
General Demolition – Site waste from skips can be sorted and anything that can be reused or recycled is removed to limit the quantity of waste sent to landfill. The more waste diverted from landfill sites, the greater the tax savings and that goes straight onto the bottom line.
WRAP and BRE – Both organisations provide useful tools to enable the reduction of waste sent to landfill. BRE’s Green Guide can also be used to check the provenance of materials.
Offsite Fabrication Methods – This efficient method of construction minimises waste generated when compared to onsite construction.
Government Regulation – The Landfill Tax Act, WEEE Directive and the prohibition of plasterboard from landfill sites further reduces waste.
Manufacturers’ Closed Loop Systems – By adopting a closed loop manufacturing approach consumable products such as carpet tiles and ceiling tiles can be recycled to form part of a new product.
Design Innovation – Ideas such as adhesive pads for carpet tiles that allow tiles to be removed and replaced many times can be a major route to reducing waste. Around 300,000 sq m of floor tiles utilised this technology at the Olympic Park.
Jae Mather, Director of Sustainability at the chartered accountants HW Fisher & Company
Designing out waste from the construction process needs to take place at the very earliest stage. Modern methods of construction and off-site prefabrication are ideally suited for this purpose as they enable buildings to be manufactured in specialist environments where waste is minimised.
The ability of the building industry to achieve zero waste to landfill is of great interest. In reality it is feasible although highly challenging. It would involve radical changes in the building process with waste being designed out wherever possible. Any remaining waste materials would then need to be captured and reused/recycled. This will require a major shift in attention to detail, but nonetheless it is still achievable.
