WASTE REDUCTION
MAXIMISING MATERIAL EFFICIENCY As the UK looks to ‘build back better’ Richard Hipkiss, Development Director of the Modular and Portable Building Association (MPBA) highlights the need to reduce landfill waste and improve material optimisation.
1 According to the UK Green Building Council, approximately 400 million tonnes of materials are used by the UK construction industry annually. The Council’s vision for a sustainable built environment is one that eliminates waste and maximises resource efficiency. However, there is a great void between this vision and reality with Transparency Market Research predicting that annual construction waste could reach 2.2 billion tonnes per year globally by 2025. Reducing landfill waste therefore has to be a priority. Volumetric modular construction can provide a practical solution.
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Individual modules are produced in factory settings, maximising resource efficiency while also allowing better control over optimising material use. The surplus materials are recycled or reused for future projects, reducing the construction waste that ends up in landfill. Materials are protected from moisture and extreme weather conditions, reducing the risk of disposal through water ingress and damage. While widely recognised that volumetric modular technology has the potential to reduce overall construction programmes, it is not often acknowledged that this approach can reduce up to 90% of
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waste generated when compared with traditional construction methods. Resource efficiency is the maximisation of time, processes, materials and labour to function more effectively. Volumetric modular technology can help deliver sustainability credentials in the entire construction value chain to improve resource and productivity efficiency. Modular builds are less susceptible to poorly specified manufacturers’ products as time can be taken upfront to validate the correct specification of materials. Designs are digitally constructed and virtually tested before moving
