What are we going to do about the waste?

That construction projects have an impact on the environment is self evident. A more open question is to what extent can the development of new build infrastructure not only mitigate its most profound impacts, but also leave a positive and enduring environmental legacy?

Contrary to what some environmentalists believe, the construction industry is keen to play its part in delivering a low carbon future. But it is not clear how we do this, and how we do so in a way that is commercially viable and doesn’t compromise the myriad other elements we need our buildings to offer.

The use of resources within construction is clearly a major factor in a building’s overall sustainability profile. The issue of waste management cannot be divorced from a development’s overall approach to resource use.

The checklist below offers some simple points which need to be considered in framing the issues of sustainable resource management for a development project:

‘Contrary to what environmentalists believe, the construction industry is keen to play its part in delivering a low carbon future’

• Design for function and whole life benefit – from a waste and embodied energy perspective, the design of a building is critical in its ability to minimise material use and in specifying materials that maximise the cradle-to-grave environmental benefits of the development.

A good example can be found in some of the venues for London 2012. The stadium has been designed in a structurally minimalist way (although being architecturally maximilist) and the materials have been specified to maximise whole life benefits and the re-usability/ recyclability of components.

• On site use/recycling of construction and demolition waste – given rising landfill, haulage and aggregate costs, it makes sound sense to maximise on site re-use or recycling of construction and demolition wastes. The site waste management plan should consider pre-demolition surveys to identify reclamation opportunities, prioritisation reclamation, re-use and recycling for early works and the maximisation of on site re-use. It is not uncommon to achieve levels of up to 90%.
• Waste as a contributor to on site renewables developers now have statutory planning obligations to secure a not insubstantial proportion of on site energy needs from renewable sources. Waste infrastructure can, in the right context, play a significant role in meeting this target.

In the context of more commercial/industrial type developments this could include partnerships with waste technology providers to offer heat and/or power to the site. In the context of more residential schemes this could be combined heat and power (CHP) schemes which use waste-based fuels such as biogas from organic wastes. Such opportunities need to be explored.

• Design to enable sustainable lifestyles – finally, to what extent are we designing in the operational features that will allow the occupiers of buildings to lead more sustainable lives? On the waste side this could include allocating both indoor and outdoor space for the separate storage of recyclables. In larger developments are there opportunities to integrate innovative waste collection methodologies, such as the Envac system of pressure-driven underground pipes, in turn taking lorry movements off the road?

This is a hugely complex arena and the above list is purely a sketch. However, it does cover a few of the key opportunities that developers have to help ensure that they make a positive contribution to sustainability. At the heart of the building industry is the concept of longevity, of creating something enduring and meaningful to those that occupy it. Sustainability is a natural fit with the building mindset. It just needs practical definition and application.