Responding to waste minimisation and management ... - Wrap

28 Responding to waste minimisation and management requirements Responding to waste minimisation and management requirements 29
Space constrained sites: Using off site fabricated elements in the build reduces the
amount of work on site and as a consequence reduces the number of contractors on
site at any one time. In the case of the latter, the use of MMC and OSM also provides a
Health & Safety benefit, as well as a reduction in waste arising on site.
Repetitive design: Some projects and builds are designed with repetitive elements.
The more repetitive the design, the greater the potential benefits of MMC/OSM.
4 Procurement
Projects with tight timescales: The use of traditional methods usually means that
work packages must be completed sequentially. Using MMC/OSM, the different
packages can be worked on simultaneously and clever use of scheduling can ensure
the project programme is compressed.
Box 1: Projects more conducive to modern methods and off site manufacturing
THINGS TO CONSIDER
If design is tendered out externally on a Design & Build project, the contractor design
team must have the relevant experience in designing out waste.
The design team must take a lead in the creation of the SWMP from the pre-design
stage and communicate strategic decisions to the contractor.
Design teams and contractors should review the design and implement opportunities
to design out waste and MMC as early as possible in the design process.
Early contractor involvement should identify waste streams and conflicts in
the design.
Designers should be flexible in their approach and incorporate opportunities from
the pre-demolition audit and feedback from contractors.
Minimise design change where possible.
The procurement of both project teams
and the materials ordered has a significant
impact on good practice WMM. Optimising
procurement processes can help to ensure
that you are employing people who are
experienced and capable in the WMM initiative
and also ascertain that frameworks are in
place with the right partners to minimise
waste down the supply chain before
reaching site.
In addition, the procurement of accurate
and reliable material quantities required
on a project can reduce the occurrence of
surplus materials brought to site only to be
wasted. Contingency ordering to account
for waste is often inaccurate and unreliable
and results in over ordering and material
wastage. An accurate assessment of the
materials required should be made, along
with an informed allowance for wastage.
This is primarily a subcontract issues as it is
subcontractors who usually place orders for
materials with suppliers.
4.1 Designer, subcontractor and waste
management procurement
Assessment of capacity and competence
to respond to a requirement for waste
management and minimisation should be
included in pre-qualification processes for all
parties involved in delivering a project (e.g.
designers, contractors, subcontractors
and consultants).
This information could be requested through
the use of a pre-qualification questionnaire
followed by an in-depth interview to explore
these issues. The use of a pre-qualification
questionnaire allows the supplier to
prepare for the interview and highlights the
importance of the waste issue. For further
information on example pre-qualification
and interview questions including guidance
on how to structure and word forms of
appointment for suppliers refer to WRAP’s
Achieving Good Practice Waste Minimisation
and Management guide, 7 where model
procurement wording is available.
4.1.1 Designers and subcontractors
What we really want to know from designers
and subcontractors at the tender stage is
whether they have the skills and experience
to implement good practice waste
minimisation and management. It is critically
important to achieving a minimal waste
approach that designers and subcontractors
are able to implement good practice waste
management and minimisation and can
identify waste recovery quick wins both in
the design process and on site. Therefore,
they should be able to demonstrate an
appropriate awareness and working
knowledge accordingly.
In particular, the subcontractor has a
key role in developing waste estimates to
inform SWMP development. Thus, linking
procurement of subcontract packages to the
Site Waste Management Plan ensures that
specialist trade input is obtained and accurate
figures are used in the waste estimates for
the project. Main contractors, must therefore
ensure that, where possible, subcontractors
are engaged and challenged on the waste
they are likely to generate (see overleaf
section 4.2 on Materials Procurement
and waste forecasts).
If an interview stage is included, questions
could check the specific skills and knowledge
levels required by each type of consultant.
Whilst it is important that all consultants
and contractors understand the issue of
good practice Waste Management and
7. http://www.wrap.org.uk/construction