Reduce
We should aim to reduce the amount of waste we produce
Waste minimisation is all about reducing waste at source - not creating it in the first place. Waste can be designed out; ordering can be more accurate; and a ‘just-in-time culture' can eliminate waste through damage to poorly stored materials.
Waste minimisation is part of the ‘lean construction' ethos", and requires involvement from all players in the process - clients, designers, and constructors - in order to be fully effective.
Envirowise believe that firms with a comprehensive waste minimization programme could save 1% of turnover. Programmes cost very little to implement, and yield a payback which could impact on your bottom line within months rather than years.
Other useful links
| BERR |  Responsible for sponsorship of the construction industry. BERR leads for government on construction issues, with colleagues in other government departments, to make a stronger case for construction in the UK government, in Europe and elsewhere. The Unit's work covers materials and products; suppliers and producers; building services manufacturers, providers and installers; contractors, sub-contractors, professionals, advisors and construction clients |  Click here to send an on-line enquiry to BERR |
| BRE (Building Research Establishment) | The UK's leading centre for construction expertise, providing consultancy, testing and information services. It also operates recognised accreditation schemes. Offers a
number of initiatives on sustainable design and construction | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to BRE (Building Research Establishment) |
| BRE SMARTWaste Plan | SMARTWaste Plan is the FREE site waste management tool from BRE guiding you through creating, implementing and reviewing your SWMPs and measuring waste arisings. A complementary range of support services and consultancy are available to assist you with becoming more resource efficient. | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to BRE SMARTWaste Plan |
| Buckinghamshire County Council | No significant activity, with dedicated sustainability officer. Sustainable Development strategy is led through Planning Policy; recycling officer also suggested as a relevant contact | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Buckinghamshire County Council |
| Build Offsite | Build Offsite is an industry-wide campaigning organisation that promotes greater uptake of offsite techniques by UK construction. It is an alliance of clients, developers, designers, contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, government, advisors and researchers.
Modern Methods of construction are an effective means of minimising waste in the construction process and producing substantially less waste on site.
| Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Build Offsite |
| Business Link | Business Link is the United Kingdom Government’s multi-channel support service for business of all sizes, for all phases of growth, from start-up to succession. As a non-political organisation it is dedicated to helping new and existing businesses innovate, improve, grow and become more competitive. Our unique tools give you an all-round view of what you need to do and where you'll find help. | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Business Link |
| Chartered Institution of Waste Management | The professional body for indivdual waste & resource management professionals. | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Chartered Institution of Waste Management |
| Construction Industry Environmental Forum | The Construction Industry Environmental Forum's (CIEF) aims to improve the sustainability and environmental performance of construction, by providing a cross-sector and independent forum for the exchange of new ideas and demonstration of best practice. Information and research on the issues, research and innovation opportunities. Via website, Publications and events. Guidance on future issues likely to affect construction companies, to promote environment-related research and to identify opportunities for innovation.
| Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Construction Industry Environmental Forum |
| Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) | A leading UK based research and information association concerned with improving the performance in construction and the built environment. Hosts the Construction Industry Environmental Forum | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) |
| Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) ConstructionSkills | Sector Skills Council for the Construction Industry and Built Environment is to lead industry on sustainability | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) ConstructionSkills |
| DEFRA - Recycling & Waste | The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, recycling & waste website provides information about UK regulations with regards to waste, including the UK Waste Implementation Programme, and waste statistics | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to DEFRA - Recycling & Waste |
| Econstruction | A website to help users to use more recycled and re-used materials in their buildings | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Econstruction |
| Ecosys | Independent Environmental Education organisation working with Government, business, home and School:
Environmental Auditing
Energy, water and waste management
Legal Compliance & Environmental Management Systems
Co-ordinate West Sussex Waste Reduction Programme and East Sussex Sustainable Eco-Enterprise (SEE) project. A two year project (until April 2006) promoting sustainable construction in East Sussex | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Ecosys |
| Environment Agency | Envirowise offers UK businesses free, independent, confidential advice and support on practical ways to increase profits, minimise waste and reduce environmental impact. Regional managers work to develop joint working programmes with local Business Support Organisations. Agents work on raising awareness of Envirowise services in the region | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Environment Agency |
| Envirowise | Envirowise offers UK businesses free, independent, confidential advice and support on practical ways to increase profits, minimise waste and reduce environmental impact. Regional managers work to develop joint working programmes with local Business Support Organisations. Agents work on raising awareness of Envirowise services in the region | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Envirowise |
| GOSE - Government Office of the South East | South East Waste Advisory Group
The Government Office for the South East chairs the South East Waste Advisory Group (SEWAG), which was set up in 2004 as a sub-group of the South East Region Technical Advisory Body (SERTAB).
SEWAG provides a collective arena in which South East regional bodies with a specific interest in waste management (and in particular local authorities’ recycling and recovery performance) can come together with DEFRA's Waste Implementation Programme's Local Authority Support Unit (DEFRA WIP LASU) to: inform, engage, propose and co-ordinate the working of regional networks, develop new support programmes for local authorities and their partners support and co-ordinate new programmes and initiatives on waste | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to GOSE - Government Office of the South East |
| Hampshire County Council | Led by Bob Lisney (Asst Director) supported by the establishment of the Hampshire Natural Resources Initiative (HNRI).Looking at life cycle of aggregates through to waste from building stock. Some funding sources for initiatives are not directly available to HCC, therefore the Hampshire Natural Resources Trust has been established to maximize funding and partnership opportunities developed with industry, other public bodies (e.g. the health sector) and the community sector to maximise opportunities. An initial assessment indicates that an initial investment of £40,000 could unlock £3 million external funding.
Project Integra has a target of a 50% recycling rate for Hampshire by the year 2010. - Current recycling rate: 29%. | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Hampshire County Council |
| Kent County Council | Promoted through Interreg eco-enterprise programme and Kent Sustainable Business Partnership, North Kent sustainable construction network, Foresight projects (iconic sustainable construction projects, including proposals for a North Kent sustainable construction training, research and visitor centre), Remade Kent and Medway initiatives, with a strong focus on training and skills for sustainable construction, including waste minimisation and eco-enterprise | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Kent County Council |
| Kent Sustainable Business Partnership (KSBP) | A strategic partnership programme, co-ordinated by Kent County Council set up to help businesses to improve their environmental performance and save money as well as helping them to make the most of opportunities arising from the environmental enterprise market. | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Kent Sustainable Business Partnership (KSBP) |
| National Green Specification (NGS) | An independent internet based resource seeking to promote green specification of construction products and materials, including with recycled content. | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to National Green Specification (NGS) |
| National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) | Established resource efficiency and waste minimisation programme with more than 500 industry members nationally. NISP is the world's first national industrial symbiosis network. Membership and access to the database is free and opportunities for involvement are wide-ranging. Industrial Symbiosis brings together companies from all business sectors with the aim of improving cross industry resource efficiency by exchanging materials, energy and water and sharing assets, logistics and expertise.
| Click here to send an on-line enquiry to National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) |
| Oxfordshire Sustainable Business Partnership (OSBP) | Has been created to help businesses who want to cut costs and at the same time reduce their impact on the environment | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Oxfordshire Sustainable Business Partnership (OSBP) |
| ReMaDe Kent & Medway | The organisation has been established to create new markets and secondary uses for recycled materials in Kent and Medway. It aims to encourage new and existing businesses and Local Authorities to use recycled materials as cost effective alternatives to virgin materials. | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to ReMaDe Kent & Medway |
| SEEDA | Regional Development Agency for the SE region, charged with progressing economic development and sustainable development across the region. Keen to encourage key construction industry-wide players to embrace the 'Sustainability Checklists for Developments' initiative, launched by SEEDA with BRE. No other sustainable construction activity is evident via the SEEDA website, although various officers are tasked to tackle various SC issues in their work programmes, particularly their Sustainable Development Manager | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to SEEDA |
| South East Centre for the Built Environment (SECBE) | The South East Centre of the Built Environment is a key strategic consortium that exists to inform policy and drive business-to-business learning and networking.
Whatever the size of your company and no matter where you are in the supply chain, we have a lot to offer your business. Member owned and member driven, SECBE offers a unique opportunity for all businesses working in the built environment sector to work together to drive business performance improvement across the South East | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to South East Centre for the Built Environment (SECBE) |
| South East Sustainable Business Partnership (SESBP) | Established as a means of co-ordinating activity promoting sustainable development to businesses in the South East of England. Chaired by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) the SESBP consists of the following organisations:
SEEDA
Envirowise
Federation of Small Businesses
Government Office of the South East
East Sussex Sustainable Business Partnership
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Business Environment Forum
Kent Sustainable Business Partnership
Surrey Sustainable Business Partnership
Thames Valley Business Environment Forum
West Sussex Sustainable Business Partnership
| |
| Surrey County Council | Planning led approach: Developed very tight site development brief in partnership with BRE for SCC owned land, with standards higher than EcoHomes 'excellent' rating; also encouraging all Surrey local authorities to adopt this as a standard, as well as offering it out as a general standard for any developments in Surrey. Waste minimisation a strong element, via an integrated approach | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Surrey County Council |
| Waste Aware Construction | Waste Aware Construction website and Poster Creator.
On this website you will find information about the National Colour Coding scheme for the source segregation of recyclates on C&D sites, links to other sources of information and ways C&D companies are able to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle their waste. | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to Waste Aware Construction |
| West Sussex County Council | Commitment to Construction Excellence for own developments. Sustainability driven through Property Services. | Click here to send an on-line enquiry to West Sussex County Council |
