Benefit Through Practical Waste Reduction

Details:

Each year construction in the UK uses more than 400million tonnes of solid materials, of which roughly 13% is discarded as waste. To put this into perspective, construction and demolition waste produced in England and Wales in one year could fill the new Wembley Stadium more than 20 times! Fly-tipping of these materials has also become a problem for many Local Authorities.

Recent legislation aims to improve resource efficiency and to reduce waste volumes through the development of Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs), a legal requirement in England in 2008 for project values greater than £300,000. A Welsh consultation is planned for later this year and could have a major impact on the way in which construction firms handle materials and waste for projects on both sides of the border.

The SWMP should identify the action proposed for each waste stream, including re-use, recycling, recovery and disposal. These considerations are also a vital element of BREEAM assessments.

In short, financial advantage can be gained through the following:

• Improved management of construction materials to reduce surplus;
• Segregation of wastes for better recycling;
• Identifying markets for recyclable materials;
• Change process to use recycled materials;
• Prevent contamination of recyclables;
• Educating the workforce on materials use and site waste management.

Processing demolition and excavation arisings for re-use can easily make savings in the order of £15 per ton of material.

ESP are able to prepare a SWMP including suggestions for recycling opportunities specific to the project type. We provide the tools you need and give you copyright in our output so you are not tied in to any long term commitments. One of our clients has a relatively modest earthworks operation and through our involvement, annual savings of some £500,000 have been made.

We are able to assist making cost savings on your scheme by better managing materials supply, materials storage/handling and better management of waste for recovery or disposal. If this interests you please contact Steve Rice or Matthew Eynon to discuss your requirements further.