Reduce waste

9.1 Reduce waste

Construction and demolition sites in the UK generate approximately 70 million tonnes of waste a year, about 16% of the nation's waste.1 22 million tonnes of this waste is recycled. There are an estimated 13 million tonnes of waste from the construction industry as a result of poor on-site practices. Waste can also be reduced at the design stage using standardisation of design solutions. An important step in instituting a waste minimisation programme is to conduct an audit to measure the usage of consumables, and the types and amount of waste produced. It provides a baseline from which to measure the effectiveness of the programme. A simple audit can either be undertaken by company staff, or by an outside organisation, such as an environmental consultancy, an audit should:

• Identify all points at which waste is generated.
• Identify the origin of each type of waste.
• Monitor the waste to identify its quantity and type, and its environmental effects.
• Establish methods of measuring the waste for monitoring purposes
• Identify the costs of the current disposal methods, including treatment, handling, storage and transport.
  Identify any wastes which are hazardous and consider how they can be separated from the main waste stream, or replaced with a non-hazardous product.
• Look at opportunities to reduce, recycle or re-use the waste.
• Set targets for reducing waste.

Useful links for guidance are;-

• http://www.gov.uk - Environment agency
• http://www.ciria.org