Sustainable Waste

Management and Minimisation

CVP031, 17/02/10 1
M.Osmani
Sustainable Waste Management and
Minimisation
Session 1
 Definitions
 Drivers for change
 Construction waste streams and origins

Session 2
Workshop

CVP031, 17/02/10 2
M.Osmani
 Definitions
Sustainable waste management is a
methodology used to holistically achieve waste
minimisation, throughout the whole life cycle of
materials, products, buildings and civil
structures.

Sustainable waste minimisation is defined as

the reduction of waste at source, by
understanding and changing processes to reduce
and prevent waste.

CVP031, 17/02/10 3
M.Osmani
 Is waste ‘unavoidable’ or
‘avoidable’ ?
‘Unavoidable’, when costs to reduce
waste are higher than the economy
produced.

‘Avoidable’, when the necessary investment

to manage the produced waste is higher than
the costs to prevent or reduce it.

CVP031, 17/02/10 4
M.Osmani
 Drivers for change?

1. Environmental
2. Public concerns
3. Financial concerns
4. Government policies and regulations

CVP031, 17/02/10 5
M.Osmani
 1. Environmental drivers
 The construction sector uses over 420 million
tonnes of material resources and converts
6,500 hectares of land from rural to urban use
each year.

 Annually, 120 million tonnes of construction and

demolition waste is generated - the industry
produces 3 times the waste produced by all
UK households combined.

CVP031, 17/02/10 6
M.Osmani
 1. Environmental drivers
 Approximately 13 million tonnes of
construction materials/products are delivered
to sites but never used.
 Construction and demolition is responsible
for creating 21% of the hazardous waste in
the UK.
 50% C02 emissions from buildings in the UK
 In Europe, buildings consume 40% of
energy, generate 45% of waste
CVP031, 17/02/10 7
M.Osmani
 2. Public concerns
The public includes: clients, employees, local
communities, consumers and investors.

Clients are increasingly demanding improved

environmental performance

Various initiatives, such as ‘Constructing

Excellence’, aim to exert more influence on the
industry and raise awareness of sustainable
waste management.

CVP031, 17/02/10 8
M.Osmani
 3. Financial concerns
The construction industry spends over £200
million on landfill tax each year.
Case studies show savings of:
• 3% of build costs
• 20% of material onsite
WM is becoming a necessary requirement for
procurement across the entire supply chain.

CVP031, 17/02/10 9
M.Osmani
 3. Financial concerns
A study by Morgan Ashurst (Ex AMEC), one on
the major contractors in the UK, has shown that a
typical skip (8 cu yd) costs around £1343

 Skip hire: £85 (6.4%)

 Labour waste handling: £163 (12.1%)
 Cost of materials in skip: £1095 (81.5%)
Total: £1343
Financial cost of waste for a generic house
(5 skips): £6715, and rising…

CVP031, 17/02/10 10 10
M.Osmani
 4. Government policies and
regulations
Carrot (policies), i.e.:
Sustainable Construction Strategy (zero
construction waste by 2020)

Stick (legislation), i.e.:

Landfill Tax (from April 2010: £48/tonne); Site
Waste Management Plans (SWMPs)

CVP031, 17/02/10 11
M.Osmani
 Waste production in England
and Wales

CVP031, 17/02/10 12
M.Osmani
What is construction throwing away?

CVP031, 17/02/10 13
M.Osmani
What happens to construction waste?

CVP031, 17/02/10 14
M.Osmani
 Origins of construction waste

CVP031, 17/02/10 15
M.Osmani
 Construction waste origins at
project level
 Design
 Procurement
 Site operations
 Material storage and handling

CVP031, 17/02/10 16
M.Osmani
 Waste origins: design
 Specification (unclear specification, unfamiliarity
of alternative materials and products)
 Design changes
 Design/construction detail errors (lack of
information on the drawings, lack of attention
paid to sizes of usual products)
 Coordination and communication (late
information, last minute client requirements,
slow drawing revision and distribution)

CVP031, 17/02/10 17
M.Osmani
 Waste origins: procurement

 Ordering errors (i.e. ordering items not

in compliance with specification)
 Over allowances (i.e. difficulties to order
small quantities)
 Suppliers errors

CVP031, 17/02/10 18
M.Osmani
 Waste origins: site operations
 Improper planning for required quantities
 Delays in passing information on types and
sizes of materials/components to be used
 Poor workmanship
 Waste from application processes (i.e. over-
preparation of mortar or plaster)
 Offcuts from cutting materials to length
 Time pressure

CVP031, 17/02/10 19
M.Osmani
 Waste origins: materials’
handling & storage
 Insufficient protection during unloading
 Inappropriate site storage space leading to
damage or deterioration
 Improper storing methods (i.e. stacking).
 Materials supplied in loose form
 Onsite transportation methods from storage to
the point of application

CVP031, 17/02/10 20
M.Osmani
 Waste minimisation hierarchy

Waste Management Hierarchy

CVP031, 17/02/10 21
M.Osmani
 Addressing waste minimisation

Integrated Waste Minimisation Strategy (I.W.M.S)

CVP031, 17/02/10 22
M.Osmani
 Addressing waste minimisation
Key players

Client
Designer
Contractor
Other supply chain stakeholders, Government, etc

To be discussed in the interactive session

after the break…
CVP031, 17/02/10 23
M.Osmani
 Thank you

Any questions?

CVP031, 17/02/10 24
M.Osmani
 Break time

CVP031, 17/02/10 25
M.Osmani
 Feasibility of Zero C&D landfill
waste by 2020?

CVP031, 17/02/10 26
M.Osmani
 Introduction
 The recent UK Strategy for Sustainable
Construction calls for zero construction waste to
landfill by 2020
 Wates Construction sets a zero waste target for all
its sites by 2010
 The Waste and Resource Action Programme
(WRAP) argues that ‘Zero Net Waste’* or
‘Waste Neutral’* construction can be achieved
* value of onsite re-used/recycled materials = value of
delivered materials that are wasted
CVP031, 17/02/10 27
M.Osmani
 Reuse & Recycling
Reusing: the process of collecting materials and
reusing them in their original form with or without
minor alterations (i.e.cleaning, painting)
Recycling: the process of collecting and preparing
recyclable materials and reusing them in a
manufacturing process that precludes further use
Recovery: the process that reclaims materials,
substances, energy or other products contained
within or derived from waste (i.e.waste-to-energy &
composting)

CVP031, 17/02/10 28
M.Osmani
 Client: I’m confused,
zero waste: myth or
reality? Priorities?
Designers: we don’t know what Cost?....
to advise our client. We’d like to
save money and come up with a
zero waste project, but how?

Contractor:
how are we
going to comply
with SWMPs &
achieve zero
onsite waste?

CVP031, 17/02/10 29
M.Osmani
 Scenario
Split into 6 groups: client, contractor, designers,
material/product manufacturers & suppliers; policy
makers/legislators; and public support bodies (i.e.
WRAP).
Task
 Group discussion: propose a series of
policies/strategies to reduce construction
waste (15 minutes).
 Each group will have 5 minutes to present
their findings.
CVP031, 17/02/10 30
M.Osmani
CVP031, 17/02/10 31
M.Osmani
CVP031, 17/02/10 32
M.Osmani
Thank you for your participation

Any final questions?

CVP031, 17/02/10 33
M.Osmani