The disposal of construction waste in Australia demonstrates how industrialised our economy is. Its magnitude is directly related to construction activity throughout Australia.
Studying construction waste disposal systems illuminates Australia’s waste management systems and its construction industry. Moreover, industrial by-products such as demolition debris can only be understood with reference to the parent construction industry.
This blog focuses on construction waste disposal in Australia. It should serve anyone interested in understanding the waste aspect of the construction and demolition industry.
Construction Waste Explained
It refers to any unwanted, disposed of or redundant materials generated during the erection of any structure. The more common types of construction waste include concrete, wood, metals, and plastics.
Some types of construction waste can be hazardous. Some materials like asbestos were previously widespread in construction but have incredibly detrimental effects on human life if not disposed of properly.
Furthermore, building paints and solvents can have undesirable effects when improperly discarded. Contaminated shards are capable of polluting adjacent waterways and can also lead to soil pollution. These risks can be significantly reduced if a qualified waste management company is engaged.
Construction Waste in Australia
In Australia, construction and demolition activities contribute to nearly 40% of the country’s waste. Unfortunately, the majority of this waste is either dumped in landfills or skips.
Unlike general waste, construction waste requires a specialised Evoro waste management team due to the logistical challenges associated with disposing of construction waste. For such companies, there are three primary considerations in construction waste disposal.
Common types of construction waste from construction sites in Australia include green waste, building waste, contaminated soil, sand, steel, concrete, and other building materials.
Construction Waste Management
For construction waste disposal to be responsible, it must adhere to three specific principles. Evoro incorporates these principles to ensure that their waste disposal systems are efficient and ethical.
Following these measures helps with building a more sustainable future through a cost effective service.
Environmental Protection
One of the key factors in waste management is environmental protection. These elements become especially critical when dealing with construction materials that may be harmful. Improper waste management can result in serious damage to the environment.
Evoro, for example, is certified by the EPA (Australian Environmental Protection Agency). They have developed industry-compliant waste solutions to clean up the environment. This helps to reduce damage caused by improper waste disposal.
Resource Recovery
Resource recovery is a method of waste management which focuses on reclaiming useful materials from disposed waste. These materials are then incorporated into the manufacturing of various products. Overall, this approach helps to slow the rate at which landfills and dumpsites are utilised.
Most construction materials tend to be costly. Although some materials cannot be salvaged, many others can be repurposed. For instance, old timber and glass can be reused for small scale building projects.
Cost Savings
Proper execution of construction-related waste ensures the use of efficient strategies. Tactics such as resource recovery are beneficial in that they reduce both costs and resource consumption over time.
This illustrates best practice in consulting an endorsed waste management specialist.
The money spent on their services guarantees correct procedures are followed and helps save money.
Best Construction Waste Practices
As with many aspects of industry, best construction waste practices follow the general waste management ethos of aiming to reduce the total amount of waste generated while using the most efficient waste streams possible.
Waste Audits
For a company to get their existing waste systems evaluated with the intention of identifying potential gaps, waste audits can be useful. This allows the business the opportunity to enhance their disposal systems for better efficiency and ecological sustainability.
Waste Minimisation
Waste minimisation is more complex than it is often assumed. Essentially, it is the reduction of waste produced during task completion, which means fewer materials need to be disposed of once the product becomes obsolete.
Recycling
Recycling is still a helpful way to manage waste. Recyclable materials can be used in building construction as well as construction dismantling. They can also be utilised in producing recycled materials at a typical recycling facility.
Teaching
Educating the public about the safe and environmentally friendly practices of handling construction and demolition waste encourages proper waste management decisions. This will incentivise them to manage waste securely and safely.
Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste
Construction and demolition (C&D) waste is commonly treated as a single unit. This is mainly because both contain largely the same primary elements and constituents of construction debris. Furthermore, resource recovery services deal with the materials termed as construction and demolition waste.
Both construction and demolition waste have useful materials that require proper disposal methods. Both can be stored in a skip bin for safe storage. Common examples of both construction and demolition waste include renovation waste and excavated material.
Construction Waste Disposal Services
An entire range of rubbish removal services within a country is handled by construction waste removal services. They usually collaborate with the municipal waste collection services to provide safe and effective construction waste removal processes.
Already, companies such as Evoro offer comprehensive construction waste disposal services to clients in all parts of the country. We also operate in a number of industrial fields to serve Non Destructive Digging and Hydro Excavation services. This places us at the intersection of both waste management and industrial activities.
