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[October 2008]
How Do You Measure Up? WRAP Launches Major New Voluntary Agreement to Halve Waste to Landfill
Today, WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) launches a major new voluntary agreement for the UK construction industry to halve the amount of waste it sends to landfill by 2012. Major clients and contractors, including the Berkeley Group, Bovis Lend Lease, Laing O’Rourke, Stanhope plc, Defence Estates, SEGRO, and Willmott Dixon have already signed up. This agreement comes at a time when the economic argument for waste reduction is growing in resonance.
The construction sector currently wastes £1.5 billion in unused materials - those which are over-ordered during the construction process – and sends some 25 million tonnes of waste to landfill every year. Both the Strategy for Sustainable Construction and the Strategic Forum’s Construction Commitments have been instrumental in setting targets.
Welcoming the agreement, Environment Minister Jane Kennedy said: "This agreement sends a clear message to the construction supply chain: it is time to stop the waste. These initiatives outline clear targets for waste reduction. Today WRAP offers the whole construction industry a robust and structured framework to help deliver these targets."
Liz Goodwin, Chief Executive of WRAP stressed the opportunity that waste reduction presents in the current economic climate: "Waste by its very definition is a missed opportunity. Indeed, the true cost of waste is over 10 times higher than the cost of disposal, once the value of the wasted materials is taken into account."
"The time, now, more than ever is ripe for change," she said. "And change will happen through collective action from the whole of the construction supply chain, including – crucially – construction clients."
The construction industry as a whole has already made significant progress on waste reduction to date but WRAP is keen to stress further opportunities for action.Construction Minister Ian Pearson said "There are sound environmental, corporate and financial reasons for committing to halve construction waste to landfill, but more needs to be done if the industry is to succeed in collectively halving its waste to landfill by the 2012 benchmark. The construction industry creates one third of all waste produced in the UK and today’s launch offers the sector the opportunity to lead the way for other sectors of UK business to follow."
The voluntary agreement has been developed in consultation with the industry and focuses on providing a robust framework for measurement and reporting on progress against targets to reduce waste to landfill. WRAP, in partnership with Envirowise, has a key role to play in providing practical support and tools to help implement the agreement. Signatories to the agreement will benchmark, measure and report progress, enabling WRAP to produce annual performance data for the sector.
ENDS