Waste

Construction waste per £100k of project turnover

Since 2012, we have reduced construction waste by 58%, not quite reaching our 60% reduction target by 2020. During 2020 we updated our waste prediction tool to allow our projects to set their own bespoke waste reduction targets and we are focussing on earlier intervention – looking at predicting and managing waste streams, and designing-out waste, long before the project goes on site.

Progress over the last four years has slowed and we are reinvigorating our focus as we rise to the challenge of Now or Never, which sets us a target to generate zero avoidable waste on our projects by 2030. We have a number of 2021 commitments designed to drive improvement including: all new projects must develop a construction waste elimination plan, mandated goods partners must have a waste reduction strategy in place and all projects must have a material reuse plan.

Waste diverted from landfill (non-hazardous construction waste only)

Diversion of construction waste from landfill remains consistent with performance in 2019. During 2021 we will be updating our waste reporting software, allowing us to obtain more detailed information on the remaining 1% of waste that is sent to landfill, and to help us tackle it.

In 2020 we continued to work with our demolition contractors and groundworkers to ensure that they understood their responsibilities under the Duty of Care legislation. This has resulted in a massive improvement in our audited excavation waste data showing an impressive 27.6% increase in the amount diverted from landfill. In 2021, we will focus on finding more reuse opportunities for the materials generated by excavation activities.

Waste diverted from landfill (Demolition and Excavation waste only)

Reducing waste at Liverpool King’s Dock car park

Our work on Liverpool King’s Dock car park - replacing the Echo Arena car park that was destroyed in a fire in 2017 - delivered several sustainability innovations, namely reducing waste.

One of the main waste streams came from surface preparation, with the amount of dust and sand removed from the project totalling to more than 45 tonnes. The site team worked with Blockwalls to turn the dust and sand into aggregate mix, which was used to create over 87 concrete segregation blocks. 80% of each block is made up of recycled materials and saves 105kg of carbon from entering the atmosphere.

The team also set out with the intention to use no skips for waste, which meant challenging our supply chain partners and other specialists working on the project to eliminate, reduce and reuse their on-site waste. By challenging mindsets towards waste, the team managed a reduction of over 60% in predicted waste.

Materials recycled to create playground

Our team on Barton Farm Primary School donated and used surplus materials to build a fun new playground for Reception class children.

The team made a table and seats using old cable drums, screwed hoarding to pallets to create a dry area off the ground, laid out anti-weed matting and spread and levelled bark and used empty plastic bags to line old tyres to form flower beds, which the school can use to plant various vegetables.

Nicola Wells, Barton Farm Headteacher, said: "It's been brilliant to work with the project team to develop our outdoor play area. The play area fits beautifully with the school's ethos to reuse, recycle, and reduce waste. It also provides an engaging space for our children to use their imagination, creativity, and problem-solving skills while using items that have contributed to the construction of their new school."

The team managed to divert large quantities of waste from landfill by thinking ahead and working collaboratively with our supply chain. For example, cut insulation boards would have required several skips for disposal due to their bulky nature, which would have created significant air pockets in the skips. The team worked with their supply chain partner, Jablite, where they discovered their take-back scheme. The cut-offs were saved from going to landfill and instead, were recycled into new products.

The team also prevented the disposal of products that had not reached their end-of-life such as white goods, by circulating a list of available items to be used on other projects within the region.

Their range of waste reduction measures meant the project saved £31,456 in predicted waste costs.