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Given that the UK housing market is at its lowest level ever, it is no surprise that the construction industry is at the forefront of reforms to adapt to the tougher economic climate. However, with the introduction of the government program a year ago and the advent of many independent programs, the industry is not just cutting back on power tools and streamlining the workforce to meet its goals – it is instead following a much greener path.
For most of us, the recession seemed to really pay off in the second half of 2008, when we saw stocks plummet 30 percent worldwide and numerous high-profile buyouts. Somewhat conveniently, the UK government put in place Waste Management Plans (SWMP) in April.
SWMPs have been introduced as mandatory for construction projects that cost more than £ 300,000 to track the amount and type of waste generated and whether it is dumped, recycled or reused. Their importance is underlined by research by the NetRegs partnership which has shown (among other things) that the average cost of what is thrown in one hop is £ 1,200, and that 13 percent of what is delivered per page will be thrown away instead of being used.
However, it is not only large-scale construction operations that benefit from on-site waste management plans. A private company, Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP), was founded in 2000 to help small, medium and large construction projects reduce waste and recycle more. Following government efforts to make SWMP mandatory in April 2008, WRAP launched a new three-year plan aimed at diverting eight million tonnes of waste from landfills, reducing CO2 emissions by five million tonnes – and benefiting individuals, businesses and local authorities via: over a billion pounds.
Likewise, Envirowise offers free support services to businesses, making them more resource efficient. Founded in 1994, the company highlights the high cost (four percent of turnover) of resource inefficiency for businesses and aims to reduce waste. Methods such as establishing partnerships with suppliers have been proven to offer economic and environmental benefits for the entire industry, including companies after and after the completion of a building change.
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Source by Sarah Maple