Halving Landfilled Waste: In 2008 we carried an article announcing that leading UK construction contractors had signed up to halve the waste they sent to landfill by 2012. Now is time to look back an review their performance. We can confirm that they do appear to have done just that!
The original article below explains what they signed up to in 2008:
Published: 17 October 2008 10:19 Author: John McKenna
Major UK Contractors Sign-Up to Halving Their Landfilled Waste by 2012
Government has a 2012 target of halving construction waste to landfill
Several of the industry's leading contractors yesterday signed up to a Government-backed initiative to halve the amount of construction waste sent to landfill by 2012.
Bovis Lend Lease, Laing O'Rourke and Stanhope were among the clients, contractors and waste firms to sign up to the Waste and Resources Action Plan's (WRAP) Construction Commitments: Halving Waste to Landfill scheme, launched in Westminster on Thursday evening.
The voluntary agreement calls on all parties in the supply chain to publicly state their own chosen waste reduction targets, with the aim that overall the industry will achieve the Government's ambitious 2012 target of halving construction waste to landfill.
Bovis Lend Lease aims to cut the amount of construction waste it sends to landfill by 70% by 2010. Speaking at the launch yesterday Bovis chief operating officer Nick Pollard said:
“Construction waste for us is unacceptable because it represents a bad out come for our business. It is symptomatic of poor engineering, over-ordering, poor storage and not least poor design; all impacting on the bottom line for us and our clients. Given the current economic climate, it's something that commercially we can't afford to ignore.”
As well as Bovis, Laing O'Rourke and Stanhope, other bodies that supported the agreement's launch included Defence Estates, Berkeley Group, SEGRO and Willmott Dixon.
After the launch, more firms signed up immediately, including French contractor Vinci.
Strategic Forum for Construction chairman Nick Raynsford MP, also speaking at the agreement's launch, warned that it was not enough for only the big names in construction to be aware of the need to cut construction waste, 25M tonnes of which is sent to landfill every year.
“This industry is vast and reaching white van man is an important task,”
said Raynsford.
“If we just get the message to the leaders then everything we are aiming for will not be achieved.”
Note: Original article link no longer available: http://www.nce.co.uk/environment
Updated Content Follows:
The following article extract, from MARCH 2011, confirms that a halving of landfill waste was set to be achieved by the contractors which pledged to comply:
Construction sector on track to halve landfill waste
The construction industry is on track to halve the amount of waste it sends to landfill by 2012. Halving landfilled waste will be achieved according to a progress report published today on WRAPs Construction Commitment.
The report provides the first indication of the impact signatories to the deal are having in curbing the amount of construction, demolition and excavation (CD&E) waste the industry sends to landfill each year, since the industry responsibility deal was launched in October 2008 (see letsrecycle.com story).
The construction section has made great strides in reducing waste to landfill, according to WRAP (picture: BAM Construction)
Signatories are encouraged to register their baseline and targets within WRAPs Waste to Landfill Reporting Portal.
The Portal integrates with WRAPs other tools to collect waste data from projects and allows signatories to monitor their corporate progress. The data from the Waste to Landfill Reporting Portal forms the basis of the Signatory Report 2011: Halving Landfilled Waste.
To date, the Signatory Report 2011: Halving Landfilled Waste, shows that 32 construction contractors have monitored and reported annual performance for their CD&E waste. And, done it 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.
via LetsRecycle
Halving Landfilled Waste | WRAP UK
The Current UK Effort to Go Further and Halve Waste to Landfill Across All Sectors
WRAP is now running a campaign called “Resource Revolution: Creating the Future” to which it is inviting businesses to participate in a new stage of waste reduction which many call the “Circular Economy”.
They are promoting the WRAP five year plan, ‘Resource Revolution, Creating the Future’. It sets out how businesses, organisations and consumers can be part of a resource revolution that will re-invent, re-think and re-define how we use materials.
It focuses on the three priority areas. Areas that will help best meet vital sustainability goals in Food and Drink; Clothing and Textiles; and Electricals and Electronics,. And, all of which are underpinned by resource management. Halving Landfilled Waste is an important goal in this, and producing Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) will aid the process.
The plan is the first as WRAP embarks on its new journey as a charity, and seeks to address the key issues in delivering a sustainable future for us all.
Other bodies which have pledged to Halve Waste to Landfill:
Halving Waste to Landfill agreement crosses the border as first Scottish council signs up
Fife Council has announced today (17 March 2009) it will be the first council in Scotland to sign up to WRAP’s (Waste & Resources Action Programme) Halving Waste to Landfill commitment. Fife Council will join Laing O’Rourke and Hamilton Waste Recycling Ltd to bring the voluntary commitment to the Scottish construction industry.
The reduction of construction waste is a key focus for the industry and WRAP’s Halving Waste to Landfill commitment. It is a voluntary framework. It's devised to help achieve a 50% reduction in construction, demolition and excavation waste sent to landfill by 2012. This initiative, which has been supported by the Scottish Government, is viewed as environmentally and financially critical – due to increasing costs of waste disposal.
Iain Gulland, WRAP’s Director for Scotland, added:
“WRAP’s Halving Waste to Landfill commitment is gaining phenomenal success, with over 60 organisations across England and Scotland already signed up.”
via ZeroWasteScotland
2nd Scottish Council signs up to halve construction waste sent to landfill
Perth & Kinross Council became only the second local authority in Scotland to sign up to the national Halving Waste to Landfill Commitment for construction, demolition and excavation waste today (Monday 25 July 2011).
In making this commitment, the Council will work to adopt and put in place standards for good practice in reducing waste, recycling more, and increasing the use of recycled and recovered materials in new and refurbishment construction activities.
The Halving Waste to Landfill Commitment is a UK-wide initiative which is being driven forward and promoted to the construction sector in Scotland by Zero Waste Scotland, the organisation set up by the Scottish Government to support the delivery of its Zero Waste Plan. via ZeroWasteScotland
