Effective Construction Waste Management

Facts;

• 17.8 million tonnes of C&D waste was generated in Ireland in 2007.
• This was an increase of 6% on 2006 figures.
• 76% of all C&D waste is soil & stones.
• The remaining 26% consists of concrete, rubble, wood, glass, metal & plastic.
• 80% of the C&D material was recovered in 2007.

How can you reduce or prevent construction waste?

Step 1: Establish good housekeeping on the site – not only will this deliver waste prevention but it can also improve site safety. So:

• Make waste a key target from the start of the project.
• Set realistic targets.
• Make sure responsibility for individual wastes is clearly defined.
• Use posters & “toolbox” talks as a means of keeping waste on the agenda.
• Ensure that materials are stored in appropriate conditions.

Step 2: Engage the whole supply chain:

• Talk to your waste contractor about the different fractions of waste and levels of segregation required to ensure waste can be recycled.
• Use supplier take-back schemes for products & packaging wherever possible.
• Re-use as much “waste” material on site as possible.
• Return over-ordered materials wherever possible and as quickly as possible.

Step 3: Segregation is crucial:

• Clearly mark segregated waste skips in an accessible area.
• Use “Banks men” to monitor segregation.
• Log onto www.breireland.ie for environmental information on the construction industry and the BREEAM toolkit which aims to make construction in Ireland more sustainable.
• Compact waste in skips to reduce volumes.
• Always supervise collection of waste material to ensure skips are filled to capacity before emptying.

Open the resources section of our website to find out more about our construction waste prevention project.