The construction industry is the UK’s biggest user of natural resources and produces the biggest waste stream. According to a 2019 Wrap study, construction uses 400 million tonnes of materials every year resulting in 100 million tonnes of waste being produced, or over a third of the UK’s total yearly waste amount.
In other words, the construction industry has a problem with waste. It’s simply unsustainable to continue this linear approach – make, use, dispose – to waste. There is however an alternative…
We recognise that there are opportunities to reduce waste at every stage of the construction process, reuse or recycle products, components and buildings, and for materials to move up the waste hierarchy so that ultimately material resources can continue to flow around a circular economy. That’s where SmartWaste comes in.
What is SmartWaste?
SmartWaste is an online environmental reporting tool designed by BRE to help the construction industry monitor and report on areas such as waste generation and management, site waste management plans, energy and water use, sustainable timber and material supply and carbon impacts from transport.
When did Pexhurst implement SmartWaste?
In an effort to reduce our waste and become a more sustainable business, we introduced the rollout of the SmartWaste system to Pehxurst in July 2021 led by Director Stuart Byles. And in March, we hired Buying Administrator Charlotte Harris to join the company as a buying assistant responsible for overseeing SmartWaste’s running and management.
Speaking of the system, Charlotte says, “SmartWaste not only reduces the environmental impact of construction across projects but it’s a key tool in understanding where projects can be saving time and money and where performance can be enhanced.
What are the benefits of SmartWaste?
“We’re still in the early stages of embedding SmartWaste into the business but its impact is undeniable. From a reporting perspective, we are more on top of it than ever before and the collaboration across teams ensures that we are recording our material usage and waste through all phases – pre, during and post stages of construction.
“The system has also helped us to undertake the correct and proper segregation of waste which remains a crucial part of any waste management strategy. The next phase will see us set KPIs followed by continuous monitoring and finally, a review process which includes any feedback from clients and staff on site.
“Stepping into this role has been eye-opening. Managing the Smart Waste system has made me stop and think about waste in other parts of my life too, for example the environmental cost of fast fashion. I’m proud to be part of this positive change towards protecting the environment.”
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