The construction industry produces around 1/3 of the UK’s waste annually, which costs money and wastes resources. This year our non infrastructure capital delivery (NICD) department set a scorecard target for reducing construction waste, adopting an industry benchmark of less than 39m3 of waste per £100k of project value. The scorecard is a set of high-level performance driving targets scrutinised by senior management so this was a brave move, particularly as the measure hadn’t been used before and there wasn’t enough historic data to predict whether the target was realistic.
The NICD sustainability steering group, a collaborative team of representatives from NICD and our regulated water business contractors took responsibility for achieving the target. The group agreed the target’s exact conditions, collected data, and promoted best waste management practice on site.
By year-end, the results showed that almost 50% less waste was leaving site than the construction industry norm, with a final figure of 22m3 waste per £100k project value.
We have now set an even tougher goal for next year: less than 15m3 waste per £100k project value.
NICD performance 08/09
How can this be achieved?
The Site Waste Management Plan Regulations mean that waste is considered early in project planning, meaning that waste can be minimised through innovative design. Preventing waste occurring in the first place is the most effective option, illustrated by the ‘waste hierarchy’, with recycling a less desirable alternative.
Contractors plan for wastage by over-ordering materials to avoid running out, but this surplus often ends up in the skip. We hope to work with our partners to see how far this wastage can be reduced, saving money, and reducing our negative impact on the environment.
Although challenging, these are two areas which can be focused on to help achieve the new target.
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