Construction waste to landfill down – figures indicate that industry is on target to halve waste by 2012
09 March 2011
WRAP today released a Signatory Report 2011. Figures collated from individual company data show that the first signatories to complete a one-year evaluation of their waste reduction performance have all significantly decreased waste sent to landfill. Combined, this represents considerable advance against the industry target of halving the more than 15 million tonnes of CD&E waste estimated to be landfilled across the entire UK each year.
The report can be found on the WRAP website http://www.wrap.org.uk/construction/halving_waste_to_landfill/signatory_report.html
Key Results
To date, 32 construction contractors have monitored and reported annual performance for their CD&E waste through the WRAP Waste to Landfill Reporting Portal. These companies consist of most of the UK’s largest contractors and represent total construction annual spend in excess of £21 billion over the reporting period.
The combined figures for the 32 companies show an absolute decrease of 28% in the CD&E waste sent to landfill between 2008 and 2009. That is a drop from 3.1 million tonnes in 2008 to 2.2 million tonnes by year end 2009.
WRAP also measured the amount of waste sent to landfill per £ million spent on construction (including refurbishment and demolition) for these same companies. This indicator takes into account changes in construction activity which could have affected the absolute tonnage figures. The figures indicate a decrease of 44%; from 178 tonnes in 2008 to 100 tonnes in 2009.
Importantly, the data shows signatories are wasting less in the first place. There is a decrease in waste arising[1] relative to construction spend of some 23%, an indication that companies are taking action to prevent waste being produced.
Lord Henley, Waste and Recycling Minister, praised the dedication of those signed up to Halving Waste to Landfill in tackling a waste stream that accounts for a third of the UK’s waste. Speaking earlier today at a special meeting held in London to report this data to industry, he said,
“Architects, engineers and builders across the country are saving money and the environment by cutting down on throwing out valuable material.
“Construction businesses, big and small, are now on board and making this happen, so I’d challenge those not yet involved to also step up and see the real value that halving waste to landfill will bring.”
Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO of WRAP said, “Today’s Halving Waste to Landfill figures are just the beginning and give me confidence that industry is working hard and well on track to deliver the target by 2012. In just over two years the Halving Waste to Landfill Commitment has gone from zero to influencing nearly £38 billion worth of construction projects. This demonstrates that the commitment requirements are being embedded within industry and this is delivering great results for business and the environment.”
How has this been achieved?
Signatories are reducing their waste to landfill through a range of measures including:
• using their procurement process to set requirements for their supply chains;
• designing out waste;
• reducing wastage rates with more efficient material delivery logistics, storage and handling on site;
• recovering more waste through improved segregation; and
• working with more efficient waste management contractors
WRAP has produced a library of best practice Case Studies based on the actions of a large number of signatories. These outline the many and various ways in which industry is tackling waste head on. These case studies are available for others to use, available to download www.wrap.org.uk/construction/case_studies/index.html.
Signatories to Halving Waste to Landfill have a number of specific requirements to fulfil as part of the responsibility deal. Each link in the construction supply chain has its own specific objectives. For clients and contractors, for example, these include; to
• set a specific target for reducing waste to landfill;
• embed the target in corporate policy and processes;
• set corresponding requirements in project procurement and engage with your supply chain;
• measure performance relative to a corporate baseline; and
• report annually on overall corporate performance
Overall responsibility for measuring industry progress towards the target of a 50% reduction in CD&E waste to landfill by 2012 rests with the Strategic Forum for Construction, which published the 2008 baseline for CD&E waste sent to landfill in England in March 2010.
Although these figures cannot be compared directly due to the very different approaches used to derive them, the figures unveiled today by WRAP are consistent with the reduction in CD&E waste to landfill identified by the Strategic Forum in their report on overall waste performance based on Environment Agency and landfill tax return data for England. To be published later this month.
The Strategic Forum report [2] describes a decrease in CD&E waste going to landfill, for England alone, from 12.5 million tonnes to 9.7 million tonnes – an absolute fall of 23%. After taking into account the change in total construction output over this period, this represents a 13% decrease from 2008 to 2009 in waste to landfill.
Taken together, the WRAP and Strategic Forum results show the significant steps the industry is taking in reducing its waste going to landfill and indicate that in the first year it’s on track to achieve the 50% reduction target by 2012.
