Is construction better or greener these days?
Sharing some recent insights from running my own project, with the opportunity to win a prize…
Over the last few years, I have had the privilege to work on a number of major projects. Construction practices have developed significantly in recent years, and so the opportunity to work on a small project of my own was an opportunity to see how things have changed at a more grass roots level. For every major project there are hundreds of thousands of small ones, the total of which makes up the large volume of activity that makes construction around 10% of UK GDP.
Over the last 10 months I have learned a number of things.
Firstly, that the level of recycling and environmental measures in place on large projects which adopt best practice has yet to trickle down the chain effectively. The amount of cardboard generated by a 100m2 single story build was amazing. A couple of skips worth at least. The amount of polystyrene and polythene has definitely reduced but is still present in smaller quantities, save for a particularly wasteful cladding supplier who produced more polythene than I have previously ever seen in one place. The shift in balance perhaps meaning that increase in cardboard is directly linked to the reduction in plastics. Manufacturers can be credited with this.
Individual tradesmen have to be very strongly ‘persuaded’ to sort and dispose of their own waste in a sensible manner. Most seemed happy to drop their various offcuts and packaging around their ankles, but the idea of spending any time separating cardboard and recyclable waste from general waste was an anathema to most.
So, it seems to be that the manufacturers are making effective changes, rather than the labour involved. With the curious exception of Allen keys.
Back when I ran projects daily, each plumber, electrician, or carpenter etc would have a set of Allen keys in their tool bag. I am sure they still do. So why did every door handle on the project need to come with an Allen key? Every lock also came with one. Each light fitting also arrived with its own Allen key. The underfloor heating manifold came with one as well; the wardrobe unit came with two, and the kitchen at least another 4, alongside various appliances etc. They are very small bits of metal, I accept, and I doubt they significantly contribute to global warming. But it still seems like an odd thing to give away with virtually every fixture and fitting. As a result, I am currently the proud owner of 53 Allen keys.
Long ago we had screws that had a simple slot in the head, they weren’t great, as they sometimes slipped. We then moved to Cross head, then Phillips posidrive, and on to Hex Headed (for the Allen key guys) and now Torx. There is certainly a parallel here to the wasteful plethora of mobile charging devices, now outlawed by the EU in favour of USB C. Perhaps standard fixings are the obvious next step?
领英推荐
The second thing I noted was that there is a great deal of talent in the UK when it comes to quality tradesmen. A little research and some time invested on the phone threw up people who delivered very high-quality work, on time and for a fair price. This pool of talent often work together in a given region, and will communicate to manage and to help each other. Despite one or two inevitable exceptions, there is still a strong culture of pride in the job.
Perhaps my experiences are specific to me, but I would be interested to hear your thoughts about the grass roots of construction in the UK. Are we delivering quality? Do we operate with an environmental conscience? What could we do better?
All the top comments below will receive a prize, which may be collected from our Bristol office…
…Your very own Allen key.
Mark Wheeler
10/11/22
Director at Limeslade
2 年Fascinating piece, and as there's an Allen key at stake, and I only have around 30 in my collection, time to add a comment... Anecdotally, people seem to be trying hard. But many forces act against those doing their best. A client project in London is currently working hard to be sustainable. Our client is encouraging as much sustainable practice as possible, such as reusing existing materials rather than using new ones, as the project is to bring an office back to 'Cat A' standard. But certain parties in the process (coincidentally, those working on commission) want to see brand-new fixtures, fittings and materials. Even where those materials are, for example, floor tiles which will be covered with carpet as soon as a tenant moves in. A huge number of the engineers and Architects I know are very actively thinking about the E of ESG, with examples ranging from SuDS to straw insulation which is brilliant. But a wider point: how much is the industry doing about the S and G? A recent post about the gentrification of Elephant and Castle and the displacement of former residents to make way for the new was a clear example of the S being omitted in pursuit of profit. Controversial, but the author made a strong point.