An overview on recycling and waste in construction

Abstract

Good practices in the recycling and reuse of construction waste can prevent valuable resources being lost to landfill and enable EU member states to meet the European Commission Waste Framework Directive target of 70% recovery by 2020. When regulation and taxation makes recovery the lower cost option to landfill, where extensive treatment infrastructure exists, when recycled materials meet established standards and specifications, and construction clients and contractors create the demand pull for resource-efficient construction, this 70% target is easily exceeded, as is the case in the UK. Although there is scope for further improvement in recycling construction waste in the UK to optimise quality and broaden applications for recovered resources, this is no longer the major challenge in improving resource efficiency in construction. UK construction practices still create too much waste in both the design and build phases of construction; stopping waste is the lower cost option to recycling waste, and is more resource efficient.