Waste Minimisation and Waste Minimisation and Sustainable Procurement in Sustainable Procurement in

ConstructionConstruction

Alex Albon (@earthexchange)

Message From (Near) The Top!

“It is imperativeimperative that we start to think of waste as a waste as a resourceresource wherever possible. … it is more important than ever that we enable businesses to find a we enable businesses to find a market for materialsmarket for materials which would otherwise be disposed of as waste”

The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MPSecretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Drivers and Challenges

UK Construction uses more natural resources than any other industry

► Over 400 million tonnes per year

Drivers and Challenges

UK Construction accounts for more than 30% of UK’s total waste

► About 120 million120 million tonnestonnes per year

► About 13%13% of all materials brought to site are unusedunused

Drivers and Challenges

About 60 Million Tonnes per year is reused or recycled

► Vast majority of this is soils and soils and aggregatesaggregates

Drivers & Challenges

Many counties have no landfill voidno landfill void. SE England only 4 years void left

Of that already reused there are massive efficiency gains to be made of a scale of £££££££ Billions £££££ Billions ££££

Government ‘Strategy For Sustainable Construction’ June 2008 – 50% Reduction50% Reduction in Construction Wastes to Landfill 2012. Zero Zero wastewaste to landfill 2020

‘Sustainable Procurement AgendaSustainable Procurement Agenda’ – recycled content etc

Facts and Figures

Small House Plot Foundations Generates Equivalent to about 50 years of domestic waste50 years of domestic waste

arisings from a typical family of 4 in that house

Divert 1000m3 subsoil from landfill Equivalent to annual waste from 3600 peopleannual waste from 3600 people

Reuse 1000m3 at a site 8 miles (12km) closer than normal Save 1850 miles of haulageSave 1850 miles of haulage (Manchester to

Milan… and back!!) Save 2.8 tonnes COSave 2.8 tonnes CO22

Save £72,000 landfill taxSave £72,000 landfill tax

Current problem

The ‘Ephemeral’ nature of construction projects and variable project programmes makes makes ‘creating a market’ rather tricky!!‘creating a market’ rather tricky!!

WhoWho needs it? WhenWhen do they need it? HowHow do you get it? WhatWhat have you got? WhereWhere is it and wherewhere are you?

Current solution: Who you know What you know Last minute Non-strategic Suitable for use?

Here I Am?

Back in 5 minutes?

A Solution

The solution - Earth Exchange®

Features

Secure Web-basedSecure Web-based system to match surplus materials with deficits at the site level via a Google Maps

Covers entire UKentire UK with no geopolitical borders and resulting boundary effects!

But… has local focuslocal focus for the user.

Features

Time basedTime based – to incorporate: Changing construction programmes and needs ‘Quality’ considerations

Member’s Site

Member’s Site – Unique features

Multi-site capability user/map configuration

Site details – type of construction

Multiple-material capability

Availability/wanted dates

Haulage routes and distances

Contacts, communication, alerts, stats

Unlimited access and use (no pay per site etc)…

NEWNEW - Details of local service providers highlighted by proximity (Labs, haulage, consultants, plant etc).

Summary

Earth Exchange® has huge potential to save waste disposal, haulage and procurement costs

Earth Exchange® is a low cost, easy-to-use tool which can interface with SWMPs, BREEAM etc

Earth Exchange® creates the virtual ‘market market for materialsfor materials’ to match material requirements at locations and times to suit you

“Exchange It – Don’t Waste It”

Summary

Earth Exchange® : Offers huge financial and environmental benefits: Nearby reusable soils, aggregates and materials

mapped at source – virgin materials preserved, haulage reduced etc

Procurement time, effort and costs saved Improved RC KPI’s achievable Local users of surpluses mapped – disposal avoided,

haulage reduced Project flexibility Potential revenues realised for ‘unwanted’ materials

► Reduced Project Costs With Zero Effort!!Reduced Project Costs With Zero Effort!!

Virgin Materials Saved 156,000 t

Diverted from Landill 81,000 t

Heavy Haulage Saved

285,000 miles

Costs Saved

£4.125 Million

Thank You

www.earthexchange.com