Imperial becomes first university to commit to halving the construction waste it sends to landfill

New agreement signed with WRAP to reuse and recycle more waste materials - <em>News Release</em>

Imperial College London news release

For immediate release
Tuesday 10 February 2009

Imperial College London has become the first university in the UK to commit to halving the amount of construction waste it sends to landfill by 2012, it is announced today.

The College has signed up to the WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) voluntary agreement through which organisations set targets to reduce the amount of construction, demolition and excavation waste sent to landfill.

 

Imperial aims to reduce the amount of construction sent to landfill by reusing and recycling waste materials. It is also developing guidelines for future construction projects that include working with materials that are renewable and long lasting, and designing buildings efficiently, so that the amount of materials used is reduced and less waste is generated.

Steve Howe, Director of Building Projects at the College, says: “At the moment much construction waste comes from over ordering materials and fabricating on site. With this new agreement we are now examining opportunities to fabricate off site and reduce waste by ordering smaller deliveries of materials, as well as reusing and recycling more.”

He adds: “As a university we recognise that we have a duty to our neighbours and to society to spend money wisely, to reduce wastage wherever we can, and to support Government and EU targets for waste reduction.”

Signing the agreement: from L-R Denis Murphy, Building Projects, John Holland, WRAP, Steve Howe, Building Projects and Nicholas Roalfe, Facilities Management

An example of how the College is reusing and recycling construction waste is the demolition of old student accommodation in August 2007 and the construction of its replacement due to open in October 2009. Waste materials such as concrete from the old accommodation was crushed to form a temporary layer across the site for equipment to sit on during the construction of the replacement building. This saved the College bringing in new material for this stage in the project and then having to dispose of it.

Imperial is currently spending £100 million a year on constructing new buildings and refurbishing existing buildings across the College’s campuses. It plans to build similar recycling and reusing techniques into all projects in order to meet the goal of at least halving its construction waste.

Denis Murphy, Construction Safety Manager in the Building Projects Division at the College, adds: “Imperial wants to be a leader in this field and we are determined to cut our carbon footprint and increase the use of recycled materials. We hope to push ourselves further and set our own targets aiming to reduce waste sent to landfill by up to 85%.”

Dr Mike Watson, Head of Construction at WRAP, said: “With twenty five million tonnes of construction waste dumped in landfill every year and £1.5 billion spent on wasted materials, the ‘Halving Waste to Landfill’ voluntary agreement enables business to benefit not only from cost saving and greater resource efficiency, but also to play their part in combating climate change. We are pleased to see Imperial College’s commitment to the agreement, leading the way for others in the education sector to follow.”

In addition to the new agreement focusing on construction waste, Imperial’s Facilities Management and Building Projects teams are working on other waste management initiatives. These include a timber recovery area on the South Kensington Campus, which will reuse or convert waste timber into energy for heating.

The College will also reuse and recycle more furniture, fittings and fixtures, such as chairs, desks and filing cabinets, by identifying materials which can be reused internally or offered to outside organisations.

In addition, a new general waste recycling scheme introduced in 2008 has recycled over 900 tonnes of waste such as paper and plastic over the last year.

The College also has a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) in place following new government legislation in April 2008. This sets targets for reducing waste and for the reuse and recycling of materials on building projects. The College is responsible for producing an SWMP which is passed on to the contractor to ensure sustainable construction. The plan identifies where waste will be produced, estimates the types and quantities of waste that will be produced and details how it will be reduced.

-Ends-

For more information please contact:
Naomi Weston, Imperial College London press office
Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 6704
Out-of-hours duty press office: +44 (0)7803 886248
Email: n.weston@imperial.ac.uk

Notes to Editors:

1. About Imperial College London

Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 13,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality.

Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

Since its foundation in 1907, Imperial's contributions to society have included the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of research for the benefit of all continues today, with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to improve health in the UK and globally, tackle climate change and develop clean and sustainable sources of energy.

Website: www.imperial.ac.uk

2. About WRAP

WRAP helps individuals, businesses and local authorities to reduce waste and recycle more, making better use of resources and helping to tackle climate change.

Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by government funding from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

WRAP established the ‘Construction Commitments: Halving Waste to Landfill’ agreement in October 2008 and over 40 organisations have signed up.

More information on WRAP’s work can be found on www.wrap.org.uk