According to the government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the UK construction industry produces roughly 100 million tonnes of waste every year. This is more than any other sector of the UK economy and over a million tonnes of this is classed as hazardous waste.

Although some of this waste is reused and recycled, for example old concrete and bricks being turned into hardcore, a significant percentage still ends up in landfill. In order to make the construction industry more environmentally friendly, it is important to do everything we can to reduce the amount of waste being generated. Achieving this will involve a number of different strategies.

Ordering

When ordering materials it is normal to over order to a certain extent to allow for mistakes and make sure you don’t run out. However, the closer you can bring what you order to what you will actually use, the less wastage there will be (and the more money you will save!).

Hiring a really good quantity surveyor will allow you to have the most accurate estimate possible of the materials you need and putting into place good wastage recording processes will encourage your workers to cut their waste of materials to a minimum.

Reusing materials

Many materials that can be easily reused end up dumped into skips simply because it is easier. Establishing a good relationship with a reclamation yard can give you a better idea of what is worth saving and can generate some extra cash for you. When renovating older buildings, it is worth really carefully considering how much of the old building can be saved as the more you can retain, the less waste there will be.

Recycling

According to some estimates, around 85% of UK construction waste can be recycled. Therefore one of the most important ways you can cut waste is to recycle everything you possibly can. Although this can be a little more time-consuming, it is a vital step in cutting your operation’s carbon footprint which is something many customers are increasingly aware of. The Construction Recycling Alliance (CRA) is an organisation dedicated to improving recycling within the UK construction industry and is a great resource for advice on improving your waste management to include more recycling.

Choose your materials carefully

Cutting the amount of waste generated in construction is not just about reducing the amount that goes to landfill now, but also how much will end up being wasted in the future. The responsible thing to do is to make sure you are using materials which will have a long life and that can be easily recycled if and when they need replacing or the building in question is demolished.

Hazardous waste

Much of the hazardous waste the UK construction industry currently generates is due to less stringent building regulations in the past. Although materials such as asbestos, lead paint and PCB are no longer legal, many older buildings still contain them and this is likely to continue to be a problem for decades to come at least.

Although there is nothing we can do to reduce the amounts of these materials now, we can make sure we are aware of them when we come across them and ensure they are disposed of in the correct way. For guidance on exactly what constitutes hazardous waste and how to deal with it, contact the Environment Agency either by email or by calling them on 03708 506 506.

Metrotile’s lightweight steel roofing is fully recyclable making it a more environmentally responsible option while still providing a superior level of performance compared to many traditional materials. To find out more, call Metrotile today on 01249 658 514 or use our contact form for a quick response.