Building/ Demolition Waste Case Studies

Fletcher Construction, Australia

Objective

Reduce the volume of waste generated through B & D by introducing recycling and waste minimisation measures.

Actions taken

• Efforts were first made to reduce waste at the source.
• Products which contained recycled materials were sought for incorporation into the building project (recycled bricks, concrete and paper).
• Waste materials were separated on site into bins in order to maximise reuse and recycling (wherever practical and economical).
• An attempt was made to accurately estimate only the necessary amounts of materials required, rather than the traditional approach of ordering extra quantities to allow for wastage.

Outcomes

Results of the trial revealed substantial savings to the project and environment. By implementing recycling and waste minimisation measures, the total volume of waste was reduced by 15%. Forty-three per cent less landfill space was consumed and financial savings of 55% were achieved on waste removal costs. Over one-third of the total waste volume generated was recycled.

Source: http://www.cfe.cornell.edu/wei/build.html