Module B1 Study Book - the Graduate School of the Environment

Paper: Designing To Encourage Waste
Minimisation In The Construction Industry
Andy Keys, Andrew Baldwin and Simon Austin
Department of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University,
Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK.
The process of waste minimisation through ‘Designing out Waste’ is in its
infancy. Many barriers and opportunities exist in developing waste minimisation
strategies in design. By redirecting the focus of waste minimisation to the
earliest stages of projects the greatest opportunities for waste minimisation
and recycling exist.
The paper summarises a doctoral research project titled ‘Designing out
Waste’. It is intended to stimulate thought into the concept of designing
out physical wastes that continue to create hazards and expense during
construction. The research described is part of the Integrated Collaborative
Design Project, a £850,000 project funded by EPSRC, DETR and a group of
twelve industrial partners led by AMEC.
By outlining the causative factors of physical waste arising in the construction
process through design, and the principle strategies for waste reduction, this
paper aims to highlight the importance of this developing concept. It questions
whether adequate emphasis is put on the initial stage ‘reducing waste’ of the
waste hierarchy: reduce, reuse and recycle. For example, the Environmental
Protection Act (1991) developed the concept of Integrated Pollution Control
within UK legislation. The concept emphasises the reduction of wastes and
pollution by increasing process efficiencies and reducing the need for end of
pipe solutions. The paper follows this strategy and uses examples from the
construction industry particularly focusing on building services.
INTRODUCTION
Over 70 million tonnes of waste is produced in the construction industry each
year1. This amounts to 24kg per week for every person in the UK, about four
times the rate of household waste production2. Government strategy and
guidance 3,4 suggests we should follow a hierarchical approach to reduce
the amount of waste we produce, and to reuse and recycle what waste is
produced. Additionally the government, in its draft strategy, outlines the need
for a significant change in the way we think about waste5 including in product
design.
Whilst the trend is questioning the traditional routes of waste disposal in favor
of sustainable waste management strategies, the majority of the construction
132 Paper: Waste Minimisation