The announcement came as WRAP revealed that “excellent progress” had been made by UK plasterboard manufacturers in recycling waste plasterboard and reducing the amount sent to landfill in the first year of the industry's voluntary Ashdown Agreement (see letsrecycle.com story) – which set a precedent within the construction sector.
Between April 2007 and March 2008 nearly 54,000 tonnes of plasterboard waste from construction was recycled back into new plasterboard. Manufacturers also reduced the waste sent to landfill from their production operations to only 6,000 tonnes – well below the 10,000 tonne target set for 2010.
Dave Marsh, Construction Project Manager at WRAP, said: “We are delighted with the progress that has been made in the first year of the Ashdown Agreement and the challenge now is to maintain this momentum.”
Crispin Dunn-Meynell, General Secretary of the Gypsum Products Development Association (GDPA) added: “The next year will see a flattening of the trend for progress in waste minimisation as we tackle small waste streams and more difficult areas, but the sector will continue to work to reduce waste from original manufacture still further.”
Construction
Under WRAP's construction waste agreement, specific sets of actions for each part of the construction supply have been identified to measure and report on their progress. A new online Net Waste Tool can be used to forecast waste created from construction projects and identify measures to reduce it.
WRAP claims that committing to the target provides opportunities for a sector hard hit by the current economic climate to make financial savings. The agreement has already attracted interest from construction giants including Bovis Lend Lease, Wates and Laing O'Rourke. Clients such as Defence Estates, SEGRO and Crest Nicholson have also shown support.
Dr Mike Watson, head of construction at WRAP, said: “Dr Mike Watson, Head of Construction at WRAP said: “Every year, the UK construction sector produces 120 million tonnes of waste, of which 25 million tonnes goes straight to landfill. We want to see the whole supply chain getting involved to halve the waste to landfill, through reducing waste generated, recycling more and increasing the use of recycled and recovered materials. Taking action will bring economic and environmental benefits.
“However, achieving this target will only be made possible by adopting a co-ordinated approach across the supply chain. This voluntary agreement provides a supportive framework that will enable the whole industry to move in the same direction”.
The Construction Commitments: Halving Waste to Landfill will be launched by waste minister Joan Ruddock on October 16 2008.
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