Easy tips to reduce waste at the jobsite

Benefits of proper construction waste management include:

· Compliance. Under the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011, it is a legal requirement for businesses to control their waste. This applies to those that produce, import or export, carry or transport, keep or store, treat, or dispose of waste.

· High standards of health and safety. Proper waste handling and segregation will protect workers and members of the public from accidents. You’ll prevent materials from being left in inappropriate places. For example, where they could fall onto people or cause a trip hazard.

· Reduced costs. Proper construction waste management reduces costs in multiple ways. You’ll reduce spending by reusing materials and you’ll prevent double costs, which refers to paying for a material that goes to waste and then paying again to have it removed.

· Corporate social responsibility. Managing your waste will help you limit how much you generate and dispose of, as well as ensure it’s properly processed once removed from your site. This will help to conserve our planet’s natural resources and minimise the energy required to transport and reprocess waste.

· Improved reputation. Businesses that demonstrate they’re doing their part for the environment will develop a positive reputation, which improves their relationships with customers and clients. It can even help you gain opportunities with government-funded projects, which often require certain standards of waste management.

Improved company-wide awareness. When workers adopt safe, sustainable waste management practices at work, they may then feel compelled to apply these practices to other aspects of their work and their personal life.

What Are the Different Types of Construction Waste?

Construction, demolition, and excavation sites all generate various types of waste, which the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 requires you to properly manage and dispose of. Inert waste, which includes concrete, bricks, asphalt, stones, and soils, make up the bulk of construction, demolition, and excavation waste, but you will likely also produce various other types.

· Concrete, bricks, tiles, cement, and ceramics.

· Wood, glass, and plastic.

· Insulation and asbestos materials.

· Bituminous mixtures, coal tar, and tar.

· Metallic waste (such as pipes).

· Soil, stones, and dredging.

· Paints and varnishes.

· Adhesives and sealants.

It’s important to be aware of what types your business produces, because many of these can be salvaged, reused, or recycled. It also enables you to segregate it all correctly, so your waste collectors can remove it from your site properly and safely. To help you do this, the European Waste Catalogue (EWC), sometimes referred to as LoW (List of Waste), lists all the different types of waste with classification codes.

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