Title: Materials Resource Efficiency in Construction Mark Collinson, WRAP EAUC Annual Conference, 18th Apri
1Materials Resource Efficiency in
ConstructionMark Collinson, WRAP EAUC Annual
Conference, 18th April
2What is WRAP?
- Waste and Resources Action Programme
- funded by DEFRA
- helps to minimise landfill, reduce carbon
emissions and improve our environment - encourages and enables business and consumers to
be more efficient in their use of materials
3WRAPs focus
4UK material flows in construction
Overall material consumption by construction
industry (gt400 Mt per year)
Quantity of construction and demolition waste
generated (120 Mt per year UK)
M tonnes
Waste construction materials landfilled in the UK
(60 Mt per year)
5UK waste arisings
6- Recycled content
- in construction
7Which of these products contain recycled content?
?
?
65
80
Lightweight block
Plasterboard
?
?
100
gt80
Glasswool
Aggregates
8Perceived barriers
- higher recycled content will cost more
9Identifying opportunities to increase recycled
content
- WRAP maintain data on three benchmarks of
recycled content for construction materials. - Standard level of recycled material content
likely to be used if no request for recycled
content is made - Good a higher level of recycled content than
standard practice, but readily available at
competitive cost (cost neutral) - Best highest level of recycled material content
currently available in the UK
10A cost neutral opportunity
Recycled Content
Cost ()
11Perceived barriers
- higher recycled content will cost more
- products suffer from quality and performance
issues
12Examples of mainstream products
13Perceived barriers
- higher recycled content will cost more
- products suffer from quality and performance
issues - availability problems
14Perceived barriers
- higher recycled content will cost more
- products suffer from quality and performance
issues - availability problems
- a 10 minimum requirement is difficult to achieve
1510 - readily achievable across sectors
16Perceived barriers
- higher recycled content will cost more
- products suffer from quality and performance
issues - availability problems
- a 10 minimum requirement is difficult to achieve
- finding and measuring recycled content is onerous
17The recycled content toolkit
- calculates the recycled content standard
practice baseline -
- identifies the largest Quick Win (movement
towards good practice) opportunities, using
information on basic dimensions and key design
specifications - provides pre-formatted
performance reports
18Which concrete block should I buy ?
65
40
25
5
19Selecting quick wins
20Selecting quick wins
21Selecting quick wins
22Selecting quick wins
- WRAP reference guide provides a directory of
products with higher levels of recycled content. - can be built into existing material selection
processes - selected Quick Wins specified by performance
characteristics - designers and contractors review the practicality
of Quick Win options - capital cost and availability
- durability
- quality / aesthetics
- buildability
23Recommended wording
- .at least 10 of the total value of materials
used should derive from recycled and reused
content in the products and materials selected. - In addition, show that the most significant
opportunities to increase the value of materials
derived from recycled and reused content have
been considered, such as the top ten Quick Wins
or equivalent, and implement good practice where
technically and commercially viable.
24- Practical examples
- of recycled content
- usage
25Case study University Halls of Residence
- Queens University, 2006
- Opportunities to increase recycled content
- dense blockwork
- carpet tiles
- low strength concrete
- hardcore
- Plasterboard.
- Use of recycled content (as a of total value of
materials) - standard practice 15
- readily achievable at equivalent cost 25
- maximum achievable but at extra cost 37
26Case study Hospital design options
- St Barts and The London Hospitals, 2005
- Opportunities to increase recycled content
- services
- flooring
- brickwork and block-work
- sub-structure
- roofing
- concrete frame
- lifts
- curtain walling / cladding.
- Use of recycled content (as a of total value of
materials) - Standard practice 19
- Readily achievable at equivalent cost 30
27Case study Waste recycling infrastructure
- Dundee and Merseyside city councils, 2005
- Opportunities to increase recycled content
- capping and sub-base.
- fill materials.
- concrete (using cement replacement materials and
recycled aggregates). - asphalt.
- drainage products.
- topsoil (e.g. incorporating compost).
- Use of recycled content (as a of total value of
materials) - standard practice 5-9
- good practice at no extra project cost 50-63
28Taking action in education
- Building Schools for the Future
- minimum threshold for recycled content in model
Output Specification - Bradford University
- minimum recycled content requirement in
refurbishment programme - Leeds Metropolitan University
- corporate policy for minimum requirement for new
buildings
29Who is taking action?
- Glasgow City Council
- Newcastle City Council
- Solihull MBC
- British Land
- Welsh Health Estates
- Greater London Authority
- Northern Ireland Procurement Directorate
- Defence Estates
- Building Schools for the Future (BSF)
- National Grid
- Raploch Urban Regeneration Company
- Skanska
- Scottish Executive
- NOMS
- and many, many more
30 31Summary
- increasing recycled content has a tangible impact
on resource efficiency - setting a requirement is easy to do
- no impact on
- cost
- design or specification
- quality
- other project goals
- WRAP support for
- policy and project wording
- calculating recycled content
- identifying products
- a quantifiable, demonstrable contribution to a
sustainability or CSR strategy.
32Recycled paper advocacy team
- 8 consultants covering the UK
- paper and print related backgrounds
- technical advice and support
- recommended specification for recycled content
- explain to organisations the environmental and
business benefits of using recycled paper - FREE
33Thankyou
Mark.Collinson_at_wrap.org.uk WRAP http//www.wrap.
org.uk/construction Recycled content
toolkit http//www.wrap.org.uk/rctoolkit Recycled
products database http//www.wrap.org.uk/rcprod
ucts Aggregain http//www.aggregain.org.uk