Construction waste management and disposal
Taking responsibility for construction waste is crucial in protecting our environment and managing hazardous materials. Successful construction waste management requires early consideration of how surplus waste can be re-used, either within the same scheme or elsewhere.
Whilst issues around construction waste management can be complex, there are some helpful rules you can follow to maximise the re-use of construction waste and manage your liabilities.
✔ Top tips
Waste re-use
- Apply the waste hierarchy to all activities
- Undertake upfront characterisation of your construction waste to identify if it is suitable for re-use or disposal
- Seek to achieve a cut and fill balance when defining your development platforms
- Identify the re-use options for waste as early as possible
- Determine certainty of use before generating the materials (ideally demonstrated with reference to the scheme’s planning consent)
- Only use suitable materials in the volumes required
- Check if you are eligible to apply for waste exemption for your site
- Where in doubt, seek specialist advice
Waste disposal
- Fully classify your waste before removing it from site
- Segregate waste streams
- Use a registered waste carrier
- Ensure that the waste receiver permit for the site allows the site to accept your material
- Store waste securely to prevent harm to the environment or human health
- Ensure all waste leaving your site is accompanied with the correct paperwork (waste transfer or consignment notes)
- Maintain and retain records relating to waste transfers and disposals
- Where in doubt, seek specialist advice
× Things to avoid
Waste management
- Don't excavate your construction waste before you have established an end use
- Don't re-use unsuitable materials or greater volumes than necessary
- Don't transfer waste from one site to another which could deteriorate the site condition or increase hazard
Waste disposal
- Don't mix your waste types
- Don't store waste on site without a permit or relevant waste exemption
- Don't seek to classify waste on the basis of Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) analysis alone
Waste management: options for re-use
Get in touch
Your contact information:
All fields are mandatory *
RPS is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. We will only use your personal information to administer your account and to provide the products and services you have requested. We would also like to contact you about our products and services, as well as other content that may be of interest to you.