Waste minimisation and management

There are constraints on achieving good waste management and minimisation practices on site, some of which will be beyond the control of the developer and contractor. The site constraints must be considered early in the construction process and where possible ‘designed out’ or planned around.

In many instances the size and location of the construction or demolition site will be a key constraint. The size may either be too small to allow proper segregation of waste or it may be remote in location, away from nearby recycling or waste handling facilities. The size of the site does not necessarily have to prevent segregation of waste – off-site segregation can be requested although this may cost more as it will carry an element of double handling. Alternatively, localised smaller segregation areas may be adopted. In terms of site location, the waste management contractor may be able to offer a viable recycling service.

Another potential constraint is waste arising from post-contract instructions, which cannot be planned for at the pre-contract stage. All design possibilities should be investigated at an early stage to avoid making post-contract changes.

Fit out projects will offer far less waste recovery opportunities than new build or refurbishment; however, they are likely to produce less waste in the first instance.

This section is by no means an exhaustive list of the constraints on good practice and the reader will need to consider other methods of management on a case-by-case basis.

Quick wins

WRAP define a 'waste recovery quick win' (WRQW) as:

'...an improvement in recovery (re-use or recycling) for a specific construction waste material, applicable on a range of construction projects, which will deliver a higher rate of recovery than standard practice without increasing costs and preferably with a cost saving.’