There are many reasons why you should choose to manage your waste using a waste management solution or system that includes a Site Waste Management Plan. Especially with regards to waste that is produced through construction and demolition projects.

In addition to being a cost-effective solution, waste management plan can also be an effective way of helping an organization to manage and dispose its construction waste in a responsible, ethical and compliant way.

Through an effective waste management plan an organization may achieve:

• Income generation from collecting materials for re-use.
• Reduced costs by purchasing less material and maximizing skip space.
• Less accidents on-site through correct materials storage and a tidy site.
• Regulatory compliance requirements.
• Conservation of natural resources.
• Reduced CO2 emissions.
• Increased environmental performance.
• Enriched corporate social responsibility.
• Enhanced community benefits.

The main steps of a waste management plan are:

1. Pre-construction planning: The design stage is an important influencing factor as to why waste is produced in construction projects. Ensuring design decisions not only prevents waste from being produced in the first place, but also positively improves the recycled content and future recyclability of a project.

• Designing for waste-efficient procurement.
• Designing for materials optimization.
• Designing for off-site construction.
• Designing for re-use and recovery.
• Designing for deconstruction and flexibility.

2. Reduce waste:

• Plan deliveries (delivery strategies can reduce waste created by improper storage and weather damage, arrange deliveries of materials to align with project construction stages).
• Material storage (to avoid deterioration of materials, keep protective packaging on and ensure storage areas are secure and weatherproof)
• Avoid excess (do not order significantly more concrete and mortar than can be realistically used before setting).
• Damaged materials (reject materials which have been damaged during transit and which are not fit for purpose and request they be returned to the supplier).
• Minimize materials movement (Plan where bulk materials are stored to minimize transportation around the site, move materials around the site as little as possible – damages are more likely to happen during movement.
• Eliminate excess packaging (For materials not vulnerable to weather damage, reject excessive packaging and request its return to the supplier e.g. glazing racks, collation trays, plastic shrink wrapping, transport strapping, etc. Check contracts with suppliers and the supplier’s handler for return of packaging).
• Return materials to supplier (your suppliers may be able to take back their packaging. Reject and request the return to the supplier of oversized packaging and void fillers)

3. Re-use material:

• Deconstruction (e.g. fix materials associated with temporary works e.g. safety / security doors, timber hoarding, hand rails, etc.) so they can be dismantled and re-used many times, use mechanical fasteners such as bolts, screws and nails instead of sealants and adhesives).
• Make the best use of materials (e.g. return, sell or donate unused and salvaged materials)

4. Recycling Waste:

• Material segregation (sort different waste materials on-site, use waste containers of appropriate sizes to facilitate waste segregation and locate containers (e.g. skips or wheelie bins) close to working areas).
• Engage with waste contractors (ask your waste contractor how they can help you to recycle and select the service that suits your site best. Skips for segregated materials can lead to cost savings and higher waste recovery rates)
• Staff / sub-contractor training (e.g. implement good housekeeping throughout the site to promote good waste segregation and re-use opportunities, specify the materials that can be recycled / recovered on-site and how this should be done through toolbox talks).

Process Engineering is able to support your organization effectively by:

• Providing consultation of legislative requirements
• Providing best practices for management of waste.
• Developing Waste Management Plans for construction sites.
• Supporting on the selection of competent and licensed waste management contractors.
• Providing waste management training.
• Auditing waste management processes of your construction sites.

For more information, please contact the technical department of Process Engineering.