With 62% of the UK’s waste generated by construction, and 32% of total landfill waste in the UK put there by those working in construction (according to a Qualisflow 2023 report), the industry is falling well short of its environmental targets.
Unsustainable practices need to be replaced with sustainable initiatives. Easier said than done, of course. But then again, no one said that saving the world was ever going to be easy.
Burying construction waste out of sight in landfill is no longer going to render it out of mind. The need to protect the planet and find innovative waste management solutions is simply too high profile an issue. One that demands action from every kind of business in every sector.
Construction’s reliance on landfill, combined with the scarcity of the raw materials builders rely on is forcing the industry to take a long, hard look at how it operates. And now, with help from waste management experts, there’s a real sense that the construction industry is turning a corner. And it’s thanks in no small measure to the introduction of the principles of a circular economy into the industry.
We’re all familiar with the symbol for recycling – that green arrow circling around on itself. That’s an apt illustration of the principle of the circular economy – finding a way to breathe new life into old waste that might otherwise end up in landfill.
Plastics is perhaps the highest profile industry that’s had to find new uses for old materials. But with such high levels of waste generated by those working in construction, industry leaders are quickly realising that there’s an urgent need for them to take action.
Transforming the construction industry’s image into something more green and sustainable calls for innovations and changes to the way the industry views the waste it generates. No longer an unavoidable side-effect of progress, construction waste needs to be viewed as a valuable resource that can be repurposed and used again in new projects.
The principles of Reduce, Recycle and Reuse that form the pillars of any circular economy provide the construction industry with the framework it needs to address its waste management challenges. And leaders in construction don’t need to face the challenge alone, as there are experts out there ready to help.
Partnering with waste management experts such as the team here at SRC Group is enabling sustainability-focused constructors to find the solutions they need.
New approaches to raw material usage are being introduced by making design changes and focusing more on preserving not just the materials used during construction but also the buildings that constructors create.
SRC Group has an impressive track record of introducing eco-friendly initiatives that are already boosting the green credentials of constructors. These include:
Reduced Carbon Concrete: An innovation that lowers the amount of greenhouse gases generated during the process of creating concrete.
ECO-BLOC®: An exclusive range of concrete blocks made from recycled fine and coarse aggregates for use in the construction of load bearing and cavity walls, as well as block and beam flooring and other facets of residential and industrial developments.
Recycled Aggregates: These undergo strict, in-house quality control processes and testing to ensure the highest quality standards are met and maintained.
The Circular Economy In Action (H2)
The services that SRC Group offers provide a prime example of the circular economy in action:
Demolition: We have been awarded specialist building demolition contractor status, enabling us to offer a comprehensive range of demolition solutions within our group of companies. These include site surveys, soft strip, asbestos removal and structural demolition, as well as on-site processing for piling and post-demolition works. Providing in-house demolition services gives us greater control over the resulting waste, meaning that we can recycle and reuse materials more efficiently.
Collection Of Waste: We can safely collect waste from construction sites – whether it’s generated as a result of demolition or building work – across the UK and transport it to our state-of-the-art recycling centres.
Treatment Of Waste: When the waste reaches our recycling centres, expert teams use advanced technology to assess the nature of the waste materials we’ve collected. Materials that meet our high standards are prepared for use in future construction projects, with some forming our ECO-BLOC® concrete product and others used for our recycled aggregates.
Delivery Of New Materials: Our large fleet of vehicles is able to deliver recycled aggregates to sites across London and the Southeast, where constructors can put them to good use – often to help build new homes, or for bulk fills, even road or pavement construction projects. We can also provide demolition and waste collection services for these sites, thereby starting the circular process all over again.
Environmental: Perhaps the most obvious benefit the circular economy brings is a reduction in the number of materials constructors are sending to landfill. Using recycled aggregates made from reclaimed construction materials is also relieving some of the strain on the planet’s natural resources.
Cost Savings: Recycled aggregates provide a cost-effective alternative to regular aggregates, helping constructors save money at a time when every business is looking to cut costs.
Versatility: All grades of recycled aggregates can be provided and put to various uses in construction projects as we’ve already mentioned.
No Loss Of Quality: It might be tempting to regard recycled aggregates as inferior to primary aggregates. But that’s not the case, certainly where SRC Group is concerned. All our repurposed aggregates are crushed, screened and washed to ensure they are of the highest quality and fit for purpose.
The circular economy certainly forms the shape of things to come in the construction industry. And here at SRC Group, we’re leading the way, delivering changes that are improving the image of constructors and protecting the future of the planet.
We’re proud to call ourselves London and the South East’s Circular Economy Construction Business. Our 30-year-old family business is committed to setting eco-friendly standards and driving industry sustainability initiatives, and we’re ready to partner with any environmentally focused construction business to meet their waste management needs and to demonstrate the benefits of the circular economy.
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