| Publisher: |
Waste & Resources Action Programme
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| Publisher City: |
The Old Academy, 21 Horse Fair, Banbury, Oxon OX16 0AH, UK
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| Short description: |
Extract: The issue of how materials are managed and wasted in construction is gaining increasing resonance within the industry with much attention being focused on cost savings and diversion from landfill.
The Net Waste Method, being developed by WRAP as a standard metric for measuring progress towards ‘waste neutrality’, has been created in conjunction with key industry players and the principles established have already received broad support. This document sets out to introduce the concept and provide an overview of the rationale behind the Net Waste Method.
Waste neutrality is promoted by the Government’s Waste Strategy and draft Sustainable Construction Strategy, and fits with the industry’s own priorities. The Strategic Forum for Construction has adopted the target of halving waste to landfill by 2012, and the Major Contractors’ Group has committed to measuring what can be achieved.
In its role as a public-funded delivery body for materials efficiency, WRAP is responding to sector need by proposing a single measurement standard for waste neutrality.
In simple terms, WRAP considers ‘waste neutral’ to be where the value of construction materials wasted is matched by the value of additional reused and recycled content employed on a project. Adoption of this approach promotes consideration of all aspects of materials efficiency: reducing waste, recycling waste that does arise and using materials with recycled content. This is to be achieved with a reduction in overall environmental impact. By focusing on the commercial as well as the environmental costs of waste, it should deliver real benefits for the construction sector. In particular, it highlights where companies can reduce costs and increase profits through greater efficiency. It also supports the demonstration of Corporate Social Responsibility.
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