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Waste of Resources

Waste of Resources
Index:

Waste of Resources:

Material efficiency and waste
Waste management in use
Waste Hierarchies
Other waste hierarchies
Construction Demolition & Excavation Waste: Facts & Figures

About:

MATERIALS EFFICIENCY AND WASTE

Design to reuse second hand reclaimed materials: find the materials then design the building around them
E.g. Steel in Doncaster’s Earth Centre Roofs, by Bill Dunster
The total CO₂ created by making materials for a building can be reduced by reuse and recycling materials
Avoid materials that downcycle as opposed to recycle: e.g. PVC’s properties change in reprocessing so Virgin PVC must be used or recycled PVC has limited application
Steel normally contains a high percentage of scrap added in smelting process and can be reprocessed into same grade of steel
Design to minimise waste: acknowledge the manufacturing size when designing components and assemblies
Acknowledge brick sizes when designing wall lengths, same applies to blockwork and timber constructions
Ensure the design of a building accommodates easy storage of separate recyclate, easy composting routes (e.g. direct exit from kitchen worktop to external composting system for organic green waste)
Design for low cost, efficient deconstruction

CONSIDER

Compatibility of material mix, to increase quality of ‘deconstructed’ materials for re-use or recycling purposes
Avoid polymer migration between plastics
Minimise use of composites that are difficult to separate, this applied to packaging too

Deconstruct not demolition:

Assemble steel framed building with clamps and bolts in preference to welding; this permits a degree of off-site prefabrication and simple on-site work
Assemble timber buildings with bolts, screws and other fasteners in preference to nailing and adhesives
Assemble with locational methods of assembly, e.g. Insulation squeeze insert release
Assemble using ballast in preference to fastenings and adhesives to allow the building to be deconstructed, and components to be used again. E.g. waterproof membranes
Design for deconstruction and reuse: avoid welding, adhesives and nails; use, clamping, bolting, ballast and screws
Enable product-purchase to become function-purchase – e.g. very low cost leasing of mechanical or electrical systems and heating appliances; maintains optimum efficiencies and therefore lower carbon emissions through appropriate servicing, and reduces capital costs, enabling operational savings to pay for higher cost of environmentally-better equipment

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN USE:

See R31 for more detail
Waste segregation at the kitchen sink
EcoHomes: Minimum 3 bins: under kitchen sink and 3 bins outside
Compostable, Recyclable & Waste
Waste segregation bins and temporary storage
Composting for soil improvement
Vertical home grown food
Offsite segregation is possible with the right partnering, at segregation and bulking sites

WASTE HIERARCHIES:

Waste Hierarchies: Establishment definition (Pre-2011)
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover

Waste Hierarchy

If rejected, find a ways to reuse it
if rejected, find a way to recycle it
Incinerate to recover energy
Landfill

Waste Hierarchy
NGS definition/the ideal

Refuse, Reject, Return, Redesign, Reduce, ReSpec, Reuse, Reclaim, Retain, Recycle, Recover

Refuse

Refuse unnecessary, excessive, complex or all packaging and protection
Under the Packaging Producer Responsibility Act the manufacturer is responsible for dealing with waste packaging
either directly or by others at their expense
Segregate it and require it to be collected by the producer after installation/practical completion

Refuse

Supply chain management:
Partnering can offer opportunities to demand a better service from manufacturers
Reduction in packaging
Reconsideration of pallet packing
Adequate protection and no more
Return of all packaging to source

Reject

Ensure all deliveries are checked
Reject defective material
Return rejects to supplier/manufacturer for them to be replaced with merchantable quality
Defective materials should be returned to supplier/manufacturer, they may salvage materials and reuse them
Let them foot the waste removal bill and not the site

Return

Sale or return ensures over ordered and unused materials can be taken back into stock if unused
Take-back schemes provide waste containers or skips for collection of scraps and return to manufacture to reuse as raw materials
Schemes are emerging to return materials to manufacturer, at low cost
Courier companies in a hurry delivering packages return empty, offering slow returns of goods to source
Damaged or waste materials can be returned to manufacturer with multiple deliveries
Packaging Producer Responsibility Regulations make it possible to send packaging back to manufacturers
Better still for them to collect it

Redesign to reduce

Reduce off-cuts by designing to manufactured sizes
Walter Segal’s Segal Method used 8×4 sheets and 4×2 and 8×2 timbers
No waste, only cutting to length and drilling

Reduce Demand

Don’t over design structure
Except if long design life demands it
Don’t oversize
Don’t cut L from rectangle use two rectangles to make it
Reduce quantity of materials, energy, etc. used and wasted

Respecify to Reduce Rejects

CONSIDER lowering standards to reduce rejection rate
natural materials have natural variations: select logs don’t reject final products
Quality rejects or offcuts from “for sale” might go into “for rent”
damaged face used in hidden face

Reuse

No changes occur to the materials reused in exactly the same form
Bricks reused as bricks (lime mortar removed)
Lime is reusable
Doors reused as doors (some repairs required)

CONSIDER

materials for reuse in new works, e.g
Off cuts reused as blocking and props in timber framing

Reclaim

Salvage and reuse of demolition and construction materials
Methods of assessment or test of materials
Softwood timbers for use in timber studwork
Salvage inspection chamber covers and frames
Recycled materials
Downcycled materials
Upcycled materials

Retain

Retain unused materials for Reuse/Repair
Snagging at end of job
Defects Liability Period Repairs
Employers FM in maintenance/repair
Sheets of flooring from same batch
Pots of paint from same batch
Spares for components

Recycle

Properties of material do not change can be recycled as same materials
Metals recycled as Metals
(fine chemical corrections are part of normal production)
Can the project make use of any existing redundant materials?
Can the Employer (Client) make use of the materials on site/campus?
Grub up brickwork inspection chamber and ground floor and foundations and reduce for hardcore

Downcycle

Reduction in properties often occurs in plastics
Can’t be used in original form
Relegated to a lesser or different task
Polyethylene sheet as black bin bags

Upcycle

Where a material can be converted into something better (greater value) in its second life:
Scaffold board used in making a door
Pallets dismantled and made into furniture
Subsoil and green waste compost mixed to make topsoil
Landscape waste: Grass, leaves, new growth trimmings, shrubs: can any be composted?

Recover

Rubber tyres are being reduced to:
recycled metal wires
reinforcing of concrete and screeds
rubber crumb
soft paving materials
acoustic isolation strips

Recovered Materials

WRAP EnviroCentre Halcrow defn:
Recycled demolition materials
Recovered Secondary Aggregates

Waste Hierarchy: The reality

Reduce: very little is done, its nobody’s responsibility
Reuse & Recycle: some but not enough
Incinerate: too much
Landfill: very high percentage

Incinerate

Rubber tyres are being reduced to a high calorific value fuel in Cement Kilns to reduce CO₂ emissions
Some domestic waste is incinerated to generate electricity

Landfill

Where only the last few bits are left that cannot be put to other use
In reality most goes there by default

OTHER WASTE HIERARCHIES

New-build
Landscape
Existing Buildings
Brownfield Sites
Remediate Fill sites
Demolition
Run down areas

New-build:

Redesign to Reduce
Redesign to Deconstruct
Re-specify to Reduce Rejection
Recheck quantities Required
Reduce defects by protection
Return excess to source
Reuse/Recover

New-build:

Store for Remedial action: snagging
Store for Repairs: 6 months defects
Segregate to Reuse
Segregate to Recycle
Segregate to Reduce: Skip hire and Landfill Tax
Remove foreign objects to recycle

Landscape

Set-up composting areas on site
Collect seeds and dry
Rake grass and compost leaves
Cut grass, Retain grass cuttings and compost
Reclaim wild turf and flowers
Post notice on exchange website to sell wild turf
Retain topsoil in stockpiles
Relay turf on topsoil stockpiles
Retain subsoil in stockpiles
Set seeds and turf on topsoil stockpiles to discourage weeds

Soft Landscape

Spread subsoil over whole site to lose it
Cut turf from topsoil stockpile
Relay topsoil over subsoil
Rejuvenate topsoil with Compost
Relay turf on topsoil
Recreate topsoil with subsoil & compost
Relay any seeds

Hard Landscape

Retain hard materials for hardcore
Retain concrete to crush for aggregate
Reuse aggregate in concrete mix to foundations and haunches
Reuse hard materials as hardcore base to new paths and roads

Exiting buildings:

Remove Remains of bird and animals
Remove Recreational drug paraphernalia carefully
Record details to Repeat
Remove infected structure and fabric to incinerate off site

Exiting buildings:

Reclaim for Reuse
Recover for Repair and Refix
Refurbish not Replace
Redecorate
Reoccupy

Brownfield site:

Record Wildlife Biodiversity to be maintained or enhanced
Reuse or recycle building and site
Reuse site to regenerate area
Recreate wild life habitat on Roof

Remediate fill sites:

Resist Removing polluted fill to landfill
Resist Removing fill to landfill
Retain fill on site
Cover and Vent
Reduce ODP collect/burn methane
Remediate soil insitu
Raise to vent Radon Radioactive gas
Raise floor level to avoid excavation of fill

Demolition:

Record pre-demolition audit and post on Websites
Recover FFE by soft strip, Reuse elsewhere
Remove finishes which become impurities preventing reuse
Deconstruct to Reclaim for Reuse

Demolition:

Raze to the ground
Reclaim for Reuse
Reduce and Recycle
Recycle, downcycle and upcycle
Reuse the Reclaimed

A run down area:

Renewal
Regenerate
Regentrify but not at the expense of the existing communities

CD&E CONSTRUCTION, DEMOLITION & EXCAVATION WASTE FACTS AND FIGURES

90 m tonnes of construction, demolition & excavation waste leaves site in a skip each year

Sources

EA survey (national survey, estimates, carried out in 1999/2000

72.5 m tonnes/annum
Figures do not include road planings, nor materials re-used without processing on the site where they arose.

Mass Balance Survey Viridis/CIRIA Viridis report VR4 2002

90 m tonnes/annum
More thorough survey, bigger range

BRE facts & figures Waste

Total industries: 400 m tonnes/year
Mining & Quarrying: 110 m tonnes/yr
Construction Ind C,D&E: 90 m t/year

Resource Efficiency

(CIRIA/VIRIDIS REPORT VR4 2002)

Can’t afford Green?
QS cost plan does not allow for green materials
So how do you get them into the project once in contract?
Save on waste and afford all you want
Save 50% of 36% you have 18% more budget to spend on materials

The hidden budget

36% wasted materials x 50% reduction in waste =
18% to spend on materials, labour is already allowed for

Cost of Waste

DTI and CE Site Waste Management Plans event: 2004
Waste accounts for 3% of build costs and 20% of materials costs

Savings from waste management

Greenwich Millennium Village 1300 unit housing site £150,000 saved so far
Swindon St Margaret’s Hospital £140m budget £850,000 saved by waste management alone

Waste management/minimisation

Don’t over order and waste it (13m tonnes/annum)
Reduce waste and save its value
Redesign to reduce off-cuts (33% = 30 m tonnes/annum)

Waste Arising: Of the materials delivered to the UK’s building sites,

90 m tonnes/year leave in mixed material skips
17 – 21 m tonnes/year of packaging and protection
13 m tonnes/year is new and unused construction material

Waste Arising

13 m tonnes/year is new and unused construction material
Not JIT Just in time but JIC Just in case
Over ordered, never needed?
Inaccurate measurement? +/-10%
Late instructions, revised design?
50%-50% split of QRE Quality Related Events

Waste arising

33.8 m tonnes (46%) C,D&E waste mainly hard demolition waste:
concrete and bricks, likely to include non-inert material such as timber and plasterboard
23.7 m tonnes (33%) soil including stones and rock and classed as ‘inert’
15.0 m tonnes (21%) mixed C,D&E waste and soil likely to include non-inert waste

BRE facts & figures: Construction waste by volume

Timber 13.8%
Concrete 10.2%
Inert materials 7.1%
Ceramics 8.6%
Insulation 7.5%
Plastics 3.2%
Packaging 25.9%
Metals 4%
Plaster & Cement 11.5%
Misc 9.6%

Key Waste Products KWP:

Plastic Packaging
Cardboard
Timber Pallets
Insulation
Plasterboard
Timber Generally
Timber packaging
Blocks
Bricks
Miscellaneous

Waste by Building type: Timber

Office 1.195-2.58
Office 0.201
Leisure 0.058
Restaurant 2.667
Housing:
Concrete 1.703
Traditional 1.65-2.56
Timber 1.244
Hemp: 0.945

Common Waste Causes

Offcuts: 33.2%
Recyclable packaging: 18.7%
Excess deliveries 18%
Temporary materials: 10.3%
Reusable packaging: 14.4%
Site Office and Canteen: 4.1%
Damaged through methods of work: 3.2%
Unsuitable storage: 1%
No apparent reason
Excavation material
Clearing site

Costs: sample project (BRE)

Timber pkg £28k
Plasterboard £26k
Rockwool £16k
Timber £16k
Pallets £8k
Blocks £1k
Miscellaneous £6k
Plastic pkg £2.5k
Cardboard £2.5k
Bricks £0.8k

Demolition waste % by volume (BRE limited studies)

Concrete: 52.6%
Ceramics: 22.5%
Furniture 16.6%
Timber 3.4%
Miscellaneous 1.9%
Metal 1.4%
Plastic 1.3%
Electrical Goods 0.3%

Demolition reuse and recycling potential (BRE limited studies)

Reusable 40.6%
Reusable but soiled 1.2%
Recyclable 27.3%
Energy from waste 3.4%
Inert waste to landfill 17% 16mt
Mixed waste to landfill 10.4% 9mt

Disposal routes

Recycled aggregates and stone: 25 m tonnes
Beneficially re-used at licensed landfills: 9.5 m tonnes
Used at registered exempt sites: 20.3 m tonnes
Disposed of at licensed landfills: 17.5 m tonnes

Recycling facts & figures

Construction waste recycled 20%
C,D&E waste recycled 45% (Hardcore)
Reclaimed and reused in construction 3.3 m tonnes/year
BRE figures based on EA survey 1999/2000

UK Reclamation Industry

1500 fragmented businesses
Individually quite small
Reuse of products rather than recycle saving processing energy
3m tonnes per year
Main Markets are domestic
Salvo’s Website is a hub to 150 companies

UK Reclamation Industry

Stone walling 1083 k tonnes
Clay/Stone paving 672 k tonnes
Clay bricks 443 k tonnes
Timber 371 k tonnes
Clay roof tiles 306 k tonnes
Timber beams 133 k tonnes
Floor boards 101 k tonnes
Antique stone 90 k tonnes
Iron & Steel 90 k tonnes
Antique timber 29 k tonnes

Case Study:

Carillion St Margaret’s Hospital Swindon

£140 m project
£850,000 saved from waste segregation alone
£200,000 on plasterboard alone

GMV Greenwich Millennium Village

saved £150,000

Constructing Excellence EPI Environment Performance Indicators:

Timber 1.54
Concrete 1.41
Inert 0.76
Ceramic 1.06
Insulation 0.69
Plastic 0.27
Packaging 2.26
Metal 0.47
Plaster/cement 1.27
Miscellaneous 0.85

Production waste stock piles: 6000 m tonnes of waste stockpiled in UK

Scotland, Wales and West Country
e.g. Welsh Colliery spoil mountains
Part of the Welsh heritage and landscape
Quarries filled
Now being mined for secondary aggregates

Slate production:

For every tonne of roofing slates created 100 tonnes of waste
Explosives are used to extract welsh slate