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Collaborating with one of their suppliers, this contractor has developed a solution to the packaging waste being produced on construction projects. Ecopak is a modular system comprising inner and outer polypropylene packaging that can be reused multiple times, allowing for the packaging of mixed types of lighting product and comes with GPS tagging so products can be tracked digitally following…

As the Lillie Square project was evolving from superstructure and cladding towards utilising fit-out trades, the project held a ‘managing fit-out waste workshop’ with subcontractors. The purpose of the session was to help raise awareness about the importance of waste on the project and to also discuss ways in which waste could be reduced. The workshop covered a number of…

The site team have displayed a visual environmental community board to provide knowledge and awareness to the community and workforce on how long different materials take to biodegrade, with an aim to help protect and improve the local environment. This includes materials such as paper, cardboard, orange peel, chewing gum, plastic wrappers, cigarette buts, plastic bags, wet wipes, cans and…

Throughout any construction project, it is essential that contractors give careful consideration to how their work may be impacting on the natural environment. Reducing waste through re-use or recycling is vitally important. Sites should also consider other initiatives to avoid waste. Examples of how waste reduction has been achieved include: The site used a system of bulk paint containers; Paint was delivered…

This contractor is collecting offcuts of plastic pipe and ensuring these are sent off to be recycled by the manufacturer rather than going into skips, reducing the amount of site waste that ends up in landfill. The scheme means Polypipe Building Services drivers will drop off dedicated empty collapsible pallets to merchants they supply which can be filled with PVC…

Sites should be conscious of the impact their project is having on the environment. In order to limit the negative impact, the waste produced on site should be reduced and recycled. Measures to reduce waste should be identified and implemented on site. Below is an example of how sites have achieved this, using recyclable hoardings: Hoarding was constructed using a recyclable…

World Environment Day (WED) is the biggest, most globally celebrated day for positive environmental action coordinated by the United Nations (UN). The first WED was held in 1974 and was created to encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment. Each year, the theme and host country for WED is different, with the 2019 theme being air pollution and…

NetRegs is a partnership between the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). They provide free environmental guidance for small and medium-sized businesses throughout Northern Ireland and Scotland. NetRegs have also recently generated a series of e-learning tools on subjects such as: Duty of care Preventing pollution Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Renewable energy Sinks,…

Whilst clearing out the welfare changing rooms to remove used PPE from a previous subcontractor and make space for a new subcontractor, ten bin bags full of old PPE and clothing was collected, including hard hats, boots, hi-vis vests, coats and trousers. Instead of throwing the old PPE in the skip, it was upcycled for a new purpose in the…

Recycling is a key way construction sites should try to minimise their impact on the environment. Sites should try to recycle as much material as possible and work with external partners if necessary. See the examples below for how one site addressed this: Hard hats are mainly made of polypropene and should be replaced for health and safety reasons every…

On our site we use floor protection products from Protec who have developed a take-back scheme that collects used proplex sheets as well as other twinwall corrugated plastic sheeting of any size, thickness and colour. They then recycle these sheets, thus providing a ‘closed loop’ solution to a potential waste product. There are just a few simple ground rules on…

The project is using drainage kerbs made from recycled waste polymers, packaging, freezer bags and single use plastic bottles. Using products made from recycled polymers ensures that a valuable resource is not sent to landfill or used as a fuel. A drainage kerb made from recycled waste polymers also has a lower carbon footprint than an equivalent concrete drainage kerb….

There are many different drivers to reducing and eliminating waste on construction projects. A simple way of reducing waste where possible, and significantly reducing the numbers of vehicles coming to and from site from waste removal is a compactor or baler. Cardboard and plastic waste being baled not only saves space on site, but reduces costs in skips and decreases…

This contractor has used biodegradable cable ties to further reduce the consumption of single use plastics onsite. These cable ties have been used in areas such as exclusion zones and in their debris netting on the scaffold. This has been particularly useful as cable ties are often disposed of in general waste which is often then converted to landfill. In…

By returning HDPE membrane off-cuts from site to Newton headquarters in Tonbridge via backloads, the material is then initially processed in-house. Working closely with the UK’s largest non-profit recycling organisation RECOUP in order to set up the necessary relationships with both a plastics reprocessor and an end-manufacturer who will use the recycled material. Newton is the first waterproofing materials supplier…