Report signposts cleaner construction supply chains, waste management

Packaging waste in housebuilding is the focus of new work from the Supply Chain Sustainability School. 

While the residential construction sector in itself is currently at the centre of debate as to how demand can be aligned with environmental controls, waste from the industry has long been overlooked. 

However, each year building sites in the UK alone generate around 55,000 tonnes of plastic waste, and an estimated 35,000 tonnes of this come directly from packaging of materials. Less than half of this is recycled. 

The new report, Packaging Optimisation in the Housebuilding Sector has been developed by 30 organisations in total with knowledge in this area. Featuring actionable examples of optimisation, source elimination, reuse strategies, and optimal recycling conditions, it is being positioned as a guide to have an immediate and direct positive impact on construction projects for a range of stakeholders. 

In addition to simple signposting, the work also examines challenges presented within political policies and those internally, within organisations that deal with large amounts of waste packaging. It also presents real-world evidence of how barriers to change have been overcome, plotting a route for others to follow. 

‘This has been a brilliant opportunity to help deliver our School mission to enable a sustainable built environment through knowledge and collaboration. We have worked closely alongside four of the UK’s largest Housebuilders and in total over 30 leading organisations within the built environment to produce this report,’ said Mark Turner, Waste and Resource Management lead at the Supply Chain Sustainability School.

‘Insights from the Housebuilders, their suppliers, product manufacturers, along with waste management and policy experts have provided a window into the opportunities for packaging optimisation,’ he continued. ‘Most crucially, all of these organisations have entered into the spirit of open collaboration, providing solutions and practical examples for others to follow. We can only thank them.’

You can download the full guide here. 

More on construction emissions: 

NatWest partners on free retrofit training for construction workers

Scrapping EU-era nutrient neutrality ‘will boost England housing stock’

City of London report calls for green skills training

Greenbelt ‘at risk from development’ highlights environmental-housing crisis

Image: The Supply Chain Sustainability School