Part Eighteen

Sustainability Speak

• Construction Waste ‘Reprise’

• Construction and demolition waste represents 19 per cent of all UK waste

(Environment Agency).

• Around 13% of all solid materials delivered to construction sites goes unused, and up to one third ends up in landfill

(DEFRA).

• 4.5 per cent of a construction company’s potential profit is spent on waste removal

(CIRIA).

• DBERR is looking to minimise waste due to shortage of landfill capacity, by looking to re-use and re-cycle materials on and off site.

• BRE’s ‘The Green Guide to Housing Specification 2007’ for the first-time contains 4 acceptable reclaimed products (floorboards, bricks, roof slates and clay roof tiles), all of which are rated A+.

• If the top 2,000 contractors sold on half of their re-usable waste, it is estimated that the value would be in excess of £100 million.

(DBERR).

• The true cost of an 8 cubic yard skip of waste, including skip hire and disposal, labour to fill the skip and cost of materials put into the skip, is estimated to be £1378, ie £172 per cubic yard. 

(WRAP)

• 20 per cent of wastage on site can be either saved and/or re-used.

(DBERR)