Understanding and managing waste and resource efficiency in the built environment

Over 50 of our Partners and their suppliers collaborate through this group to share best practice and tips on all waste-related activities, discuss problem areas and take action to move towards a more resource efficient circular economy.

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The current linear economy of ‘take – make – dispose’ – taking resources from the ground to make products which we use and then dispose of – is no longer acceptable.

We must instead move to a circular economy; reducing whole life carbon and based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use and regenerating our natural systems.

The School with its Partners and member companies has an extensive presence and reach. Together we can make a significant difference.

The School’s Waste and Resource Efficiency Group is the forum to help enable this change; taking individual and collective action against waste and inefficiency, including initiatives to encourage supply chains and enable innovative School members to showcase what they can do to help.

How will this be achieved?

The group is working to reduce waste and increase resource efficiency by developing understanding on key issues and priorities. Its workplan focuses on three priority areas:

Mapping and materials development
Procurement and supply chain engagement
Measurement and reporting

The group includes representation from all of the School’s markets and interest areas, including: infrastructure, homes, construction, offsite and facilities management.

A constantly growing range of learning materials are available via the School’s resource library to educate and upskill supply chains, with the aim of developing a common understanding and commitment across client, designer, main contractor, FM service provider, supplier and subcontractor communities.

2023/2024 Waste and Resource Use Group Update

To learn more about the group’s targets and objectives for 2023/2024, download the Business Plan below.

Download the plan

2023/2024 Waste and Resource Efficiency Group Update

Group Outputs:

Explore a variety of the group’s outputs below, including a newly published packaging optimisation report, interactive practical guide for reducing project lifecycle waste, Material Exchange Platforms (MEPs) and partner video case studies.

Packaging Optimisation in the Housebuilding Sector Report

Download the report

A NEW detailed report by the School demonstrating the opportunities, challenges and practicalities of optimising packaging.

This comprehensive report harnesses the expertise of four of the UK’s biggest and most influential housebuilders – Bellway Homes, Crest Nicholson, Taylor Wimpey and Vistry Group, working in partnership with Waste Management experts Biffa and Reconomy, together with Ibstock, Stark Group, Saint Gobain and Zero Waste Scotland. The partners listed have co-funded this project, also donating their valuable time and helping the project team to engage with 23 of their specialist suppliers, manufacturers and merchants, selected to cover all the most significant aspects of the housebuilding supply chain. The report also reaches beyond this sector, providing knowledge, ideas and potential solutions for any organisation interested in optimising the packaging they generate, transport or receive on site.

Material Exchange Platforms (MEPs)

View the map

Material Exchange Platforms (MEPs) are location based and online services that help excess but usable materials and products to be exchanged from one user to another. This helps reduce both carbon and waste to landfill and can also be a way to deliver social value by supporting local community projects.

Use the map to find out the locations of MEPs in the UK and to find out more information on donating your unused material. You may have surplus stock from a recently finished project, or maybe be looking to donate or secure second hand upcycled furniture; these are just some examples of how you might use MEPs.

MEPS are a great way of providing social value in the localities where you work. If you are aware of any MEPs that need to be added or deleted from the map, or any information that should be revised, please complete this form.

A practical guide to

Reducing project lifecycle waste

These resources help users from all parts of the built environment value chain reduce construction lifecycle waste.

Explore themes and topics for practical examples, learning about the different stages and aspects of a wide variety of projects.

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1. Pre Construction Clients & Design Teams

Select an aim using the menu below

Increasing demand for circularity and more resource efficient build mean that we will need to design buildings with their end of life in mind

Waste and Resource Efficiency

ASBP – Designing for the Deconstruction Process

Document / Presentation

The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products examines the barriers to greater reuse of structural materials

Advanced

60 minutes

Date/ Time	Location
16th May 2023, 11am-1pm	Microsoft Teams

Waste and Resource Use Group

Understanding and managing waste and resource efficiency in the built environment

How will this be achieved?

2023/2024 Waste and Resource Use Group Update

2023/2024 Waste and Resource Efficiency Group Update

Group Outputs:

Packaging Optimisation in the Housebuilding Sector Report

A NEW detailed report by the School demonstrating the opportunities, challenges and practicalities of optimising packaging.

Material Exchange Platforms (MEPs)

ASBP – Designing for the Deconstruction Process

Case Study: Design for Deconstruction – PassivHaus

Design for Deconstruction

Design for Disassembly: TEDI-London Canada Water

DfMA Overlay To The RIBA Plan Of Work: 2nd Edition

The MMC Categories

Case Study: The Forge (Platform Approach)

Offsite Fundamentals – Sectors

Offsite Fundamentals – Systems

Kier’s Modern Methods of Construction Database

WRAP – Designing Out Waste guide: Civil engineers

WRAP – Designing Out Waste: guide for Buildings

Early Engagement Design to save on Materials and Costs

Designing Out Waste – Green Alliance

Waste in Design and Engineering

Responsible Retrofit Wheel

Climate Emergency Retrofit Guide

Glass from Glass: Leading by example

Case Study: Neonatal Care Centre

Public Sector Guidance On The Procurement Of Sustainable Products

Procuring Resource Efficient Construction Projects

Circular Procurement Case Study Collection

DfMA – Clients, Value and Procurement

WRAP – Reclaimed building products guide

Resource Efficiency Action Plans

Guidance Note on Steel Reuse

BES 6001 for Responsible Sourcing

Decarbonising Precast Concrete

Guidance Note on Steel Reuse

Saint Gobain’s Zero-Carbon Glass

Soils And Stones Report: Sustaining Our Future By Influencing Change In The UK And Beyond

Case Study: Redrow Recycled Aggregate

Sustainable reuse of Greenfield Soils

CL:AIRE – Definition of Waste

Reuse of Waste Materials Case Study

Material Exchange Platform (MEP) Map

Case Study: Reducing Waste On Site – McCarthy Stone

Reducing Waste in Construction: Redrow

Pallet Reuse with The Pallet LOOP – Case Study

Case Study: Protec Closed Loop Scheme

Case Study: Eco Friendly Hoarding

Managing Physical Flows in Construction Sites

Reducing your Construction Waste

Innovation Insights: Reuse and Products as a Service

Maximising re-use of materials

Architecture and Design Scotland – Material Considerations

Case Study: Neonatal Care Centre

Construction and Demolition Waste Management

WRAP Demolition Protocol for Contractors

Waste Wood Assessment Guidance

ICE Demolition Protocol 2008

Rebeauty – Reusing Building Materials

DfMA – The Role Of Digital Design

Digital Twin Rises in Construction

Digital Tech Delivers Tfl Fire Safety Project

Carpet Recycling UK

HMP Foston Hall Streetlamp Project

Staffordshire & Stoke on Trent Waste Strategy

Guidelines for measuring & reporting waste

Case Study: The Co-Operative Bank And Reconomy

Case Study: Upton Gardens Housebuilding Project

What is PAS 402:2013

Construction Waste Measurement Protocol

Materials Requirements Planning

Material Requirements Planning (MRP)

Redrow’s Reduce the Rubble Project

Carbon & Value Impacts of Circular Economy Principles

Greenhouse gas reporting – Conversion factors 2021

Zero Waste Scotland Carbon Metric Publications

Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap for the Built Environment

Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Assessments