How to Reduce Waste in the Construction Industry

The construction industry is the biggest waste-producing sector in the UK. According to the UK's leading supplier of aggregates & waste disposal, GMAT, the construction industry produced over 138 million tonnes of waste in 2019, accounting for 61% of all UK waste that year. In addition to this, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has reported the construction industry generates 32% of all waste sent to landfills.

This waste comes from various sources, including construction sites, manufacturing processes, and end-of-life activities. Crucially, 13% of construction materials are diverted straight to waste without being used. This shows the very serious need for better waste management practices in the construction industry. 

Types of Waste in Construction

The types of waste generated in the construction industry can be broadly generated in the construction industry may be broadly categorised into: 

Inert waste: Includes concrete, bricks, tiles, ceramics, asphalt, stones, and soils, with mineral waste from demolition and construction contributing 65.2 million tonnes. 

The disposal of inert waste in landfills can lead to releasing harmful gases, such as methane, which contributes to climate change. It can also contaminate soil and water, posing a threat to ecosystems and human health. Non-hazardous waste includes wood, glass, plastic, paper, cardboard, rubber, and textile waste. 

Metallic waste: This waste category includes ferrous and non-ferrous metallic wastes and mixed metallic waste.

Hazardous waste: This category includes asbestos, solvents, lead-based paints, adhesives, oils, and other harmful substances. Hazardous waste is a critical concern not only because of its environmental impact but also because of its potential health impacts. 

Other waste types: Other types of construction waste include packaging waste, coal tar, chemical waste, effluent sludges, discarded equipment, mixed materials, and bituminous mixtures. 

Methods For Reducing Waste in Construction

Deconstruction Over Demolition

Construction companies must put processes in place to ensure careful dismantling, unlike the notorious demolition works, which do not salvage reusable materials like time, bricks, fixtures, timber, and appliances. 

The salvaged materials can be reused on the same projects or sold/donated and have the potential to reduce toxic materials and waste sent to landfills.

Implement a Recycling Program

Construction companies can partner with recycling companies to facilitate the provision of bins, transportation, and processing for recyclable materials. Also, construction companies can utilise innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to uptake waste recycling in operations.

Reuse and Donate

Construction companies can reuse leftover materials for temporary structures, maintain leftover materials inventory for reuse on future projects, or donate good-condition materials to charities or community organisations.

Planning

Construction companies must embrace efficient planning and digital tools such as 3D modelling for precise material measurement and procurement. They must also:

• Encourage prefabrication to reduce waste and standardise materials across sites where possible. 
• Implement effective inventory management and checks that enable reusing materials from previous projects. 

Further Waste Reduction Tips

Moreover, construction companies can utilise bulk buying to reduce packaging waste and provide training to employees. Hence, they have the appropriate skills to implement the circular economy principles.

Why It’s Important to Reduce Waste in Construction

Environmental Benefits

By reducing waste in the construction industry, we can significantly cut down on the waste in landfills, thereby reducing air, water, and noise pollution. This plays a crucial role in mitigating the impact of climate change. 

Moreover, waste reduction in the construction industry lessens the need to extract new materials from the ground, thereby preserving natural habitats and improving biological diversity and ecosystem services for all living organisms. 

Legal Compliance

Reducing waste in the construction industry contributes to adhering to relevant waste management laws and regulations and avoiding penalties and legal issues related to waste management. 

Cost Savings

Waste reduction in the construction industry is not just about environmental responsibility; it's about smart resource management. By optimising material usage and reducing expenses on material procurement, transportation, and disposal fees, construction companies can significantly reduce their costs. 

Health and Safety

Waste reduction in the construction industry is not just about environmental and financial benefits, it's also about ensuring a safe and healthy work environment. 

By encouraging the effective handling and disposal of hazardous materials, we can significantly reduce the likelihood and severity of accident risks, thereby safeguarding the health and well-being of our workers. 

Reputation and Sustainability

Reducing waste in the construction industry aligns with the company's corporate social responsibility goals of positively impacting people in the community and the environment. 

Stakeholders such as investors, regulators, customers, and employees are putting pressure on companies, including construction businesses, to minimise waste, improve resource utilisation and align with their sustainability goals. 

Companies with sustainability credentials, such as sound waste reduction and management, have brand recognition and stand an excellent chance to have improved brand values. 

Environmental Training for the Construction Industry

The construction industry must act urgently to reduce waste produced during procurement usage and end-of-life activities because the sector is the highest-producing sector of waste in the UK. 

However, this is not an easy task. There are several challenges and barriers to waste reduction in the construction industry, including the lack of awareness, the high cost of implementing waste reduction strategies, and the resistance to change. 

Strategies like waste reduction, recycling, segregation, and responsible disposal are essential for sustainability efforts. Educating managers and the workforce about the environmental impacts of their work is also an important tool for this. 

In order to secure workforce, buy-in to sustainability efforts, managers should lead by example. This is why we recommend that you begin by enrolling line managers in the IEMA Environmental Sustainability Skills for Managers course.

The course below is intended to support managers and supervisors from any industry in understanding the strategic and operational implications environmental sustainability has on them, their team and department.