Waste
Approximately 100 million
tonnes of waste is produced from households, commerce and industry
combined each year. At present most of this waste finishes up at
landfill, where the biodegradable waste generates high levels of
methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
It is vital to take action on the issue of waste; our
consumption of the earth’s natural resources at an unsustainable
rate is contributing unnecessarily to the effects of climate
change. In the building of new developments, efforts can be made to
make their future as sustainable as possible.
People naturally produce waste; a fact which is impossible to
change. Nevertheless, we can control how much waste is produced,
how we manage it and change the methods in place to deal with it.
Indeed, managing waste in a sustainable way, optimising recycling
and re-use, as well as limiting production, forms a core part of
Government policy to protect the environment.
At present the Governments advice is set out in a Waste
Hierarchy to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. For new developments this
means:
- Construction Waste – Committing to minimising
waste generated on site in the construction of the buildings
- Waste Management – An effective waste strategy
is important to ensure an integrated approach to the management of
waste within a new development.
- Provide for recycling – This can involve the
provision for the storage, collection and recycling of waste needs
to be an integral part of the design of new developments such as
bottle, paper and clothes banks that are easily accessible from the
home. Or specialised waste disposal units to deal with larger
appliances such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners.
- Household waste – The design of new buildings
can include recycling facilities within the buildings for easy
storage, separate and disposal.
Useful Websites
This webpage was updated on 2/28/2008