With the great demand for construction services worldwide, the industry is a booming business that does not seem likely to slow down soon. However, as the number of construction projects increases, the amount of waste, trash, and debris must be cleaned up. Managing waste has become an essential part of any successful building project.
Most project managers focus on planning and managing the construction until its completion, often forgetting the last step of cleaning up after the project. Removing trash is the final step, whether working on a big construction project or a home renovation.
This article will look at what construction waste management is and give tips on better handling waste and debris on your projects for smoother project delivery.
What are Construction Wastes?
Construction waste is the unwanted materials left over from the building and tearing down industries. Construction job sites are notoriously well-known for generating a lot of trash, and this trashes usually ends up in a landfill is possible. Before getting rid of something, all businesses, regardless of industry, must reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Construction waste includes things like packaging and the products of demolition and materials that are more than what is needed due to over-ordering or inaccurate estimating.
Some of the most common construction waste products are the following
- Asbestos Materials
- Concrete, Sand, Gravel, Cement, Bricks, Tiles, and Ceramics
- Wood, Glass, Metal, and Plastic
- Electric Cables and PVC Pipes
- Paints And Varnishes
- Adhesives, Sealants, and Nails
Luckily, there are many ways for companies to reuse, reduce, and recycle materials. In the following sections, let us tackle why we should seriously manage construction waste.
Why Should We Be More Attentive with Construction Wastes?
Construction waste adds a lot of loads to landfills, which are getting harder to find as the world evolves. If debris is not handled correctly, dangerous substances can pollute the soil and water and, in turn, make people sick. Construction companies must take care of their trash responsibly to protect the planet’s natural resources and cause as minor damage as possible to the environment. Managing waste on-site from the start of your project will help keep things in order and keep everyone focused on their tasks. This section has listed five benefits you can realize with a solid waste management system.
Avoid Possible Accidents
You and your team need to ensure that the trash and debris are thrown away properly so that nothing terrible happens. Most construction wastes can result in injuries or sickness when people contact them. As a project manager, it is your job to ensure they know what things are dangerous in case of a fire or if something gets thrown into a machine.
Lowers Building Costs
Taking care of trash on-site can also save money by making it cheaper to get rid of. By keeping track of how your team uses each material, you can develop plans for how to use your resources well.
Keeps Your Workplace in Good Shape
Meticulously managing wastes helps keep your construction site safe and clean. However, you will need tools and materials like wheelbarrows for moving dirt and pallets for storing heavy things like bricks. Always ensure that there are always enough trash cans for your workers to get rid of their trash immediately.
Save Materials and Resources
All building materials must be accounted for and not thrown away by accident. This is done to keep costs down and make better use of time. This often happens on construction sites, and it can be fixed with simple steps.
This can be as easy as giving piles of trash in different colors or keeping a log. Materials that can still be used for something else should be saved and stored correctly. You can also use inventory management software to keep track of every resource on the job site.
Helps the Environment
Waste management is also essential because it makes sure your project is good for the environment. If you do not get rid of your trash in a good way for the environment, it could pollute the waterways or add to the air pollution in the area.
The Construction Waste Management Process
Now that we have discussed construction waste and why it is essential to manage them properly, the next step is to know the construction waste management process. Assessing the rubbish that will be made on a project is the first step in creating a plan for how to deal with construction and demolition waste at the project level.
Initial Sorting
The first step to keeping construction waste out of landfills depends on how well materials can be identified and sorted. Materials can be put into different containers provided by companies that deal with particular types of waste on the job site. Most of the time, it is best to have a few containers as possible to keep the volume of the containers high, cut down on transportation trips and costs, and keep the work site clear of obstacles.
Collection and Transportation of Wastes
When the containers are full of construction and demolition waste, a construction dumpster takes them to places that can be reused or recycled. These trucks and containers are connected to move around and work with other modules.
Identifying Loads in Diversion Facilities
To make sure that materials are handled correctly, it is essential for construction and demolition debris diversion facilities to identify loads as they come in. Most plans for managing a facility list the materials that can be taken in. For example, compostable construction wastes may go to a sanitary landfill. Hazardous wastes may go to a particular facility capable of handling those.
Picking and Piling
Materials are usually moved with equipment made to hold heavy loads and resist wear and tear. Material is dumped from containers onto the tipping or receiving floor, usually under a roof or industrial building. Once on the floor, an operator will pile up materials that have been sorted with a grapple or a hydraulic excavator.
Final Sorting
Materials are found, picked up, and put in vertical holes at each station. The picking operation before the manual sort line impacts how well it works. For example, large items on the belt can be hard to control and can get in the way of recoverable items passing by on the belt below.
Packing and Transport
Materials that have been picked and sorted are put into different kinds of industrial containers with the help of machines and people. Intermodal facilities, such as rail yards and ports, are used to move all containers locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally by road, rail, or barge. Once recyclable materials are put into containers, they are turned into commodities and traded on the global market.
Recycling and Disposal
Diverted materials are either recycled and put into new products or processed to be used again. Materials thrown away in landfills include:
- Trash.
- Materials that have been ruined or contaminated with debris.
- Materials that have no market.
Best Sustainable Practices for Construction Waste Management
Construction companies must take care of their trash responsibly to protect the planet’s natural resources and cause as minor damage as possible to the environment. From a good construction procurement plan that allows you to reduce waste or scheduling software that gives you insights into your inventory levels, there are many ways to help you reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible. Here are four of the best practices for a more sustainable approach.
Eradicating Wastes
Some of the waste from the building can be gotten rid of. For example, scaffolding or formworks can be quickly taken apart and used on other projects once done with the current one. This eliminates the wood and steel wastes. Removing trash can help reduce the effects on people’s health and the environment. Be careful about what you buy. Planning carefully will ensure you don’t waste money on materials that won’t work.
Reducing Wastes
Some building waste can be cut down on. Construction products can be chosen based on how well they are made and how little packaging they need to ship. You can also think about what leftover materials you can use for another project, like bricks, windows, roof tiles, or even paint.
Reusing Materials
Some materials and resources can be used more than once. Materials and products that cannot be eliminated, reduced, or reused effectively and efficiently are eventually collected and, if not managed, will likely be thrown away at the lowest cost. Many of the things you throw away, like metal, paper, plastic, wood, glass, concrete, plasterboard, asphalt, and more, are probably recyclable. So, it would help if you separated your recyclable trash to be picked up and processed correctly so they can be reused for another project.
Construction Waste Disposal
If you decide you cannot reduce or reuse certain materials, you can recycle them or throw them away. The easiest and most effective way to eliminate construction waste is to engage construction clean-up services. They can help you separate recyclables and trash and dangerous and non-dangerous waste and dispose of any wastes that cannot be reused or recycled.
