Five ways to reduce waste in construction

Whether it’s to reduce project costs or save vital resources from landfill, the construction industry is increasingly looking at ways to close the loop on waste.

Closing the loop on waste?

With the effects of climate change fueling a global discussion on sustainability, it’s time for the industry to move from a linear “take, make, waste” economy to a circular “reduce, reuse, recycle” one.?

Current estimates suggest that annual construction waste will reach 2.2 billion tons globally by 2025 . Although some of these materials are recycled and re-used, most of it is discarded. Some researchers estimate that as much as 75% of all construction waste ends up in landfill.

In the face of unprecedented demand it’s vital that the construction industry addresses the issue of waste.

By driving the circular economy across everything we do, we can preserve nature’s precious resources. Imagine if every new building was made from 50% of an old one. That means 50% less materials drawn from nature.

How do we stop waste from being wasted?

Changing our mindset is the first step in reducing waste. But if we’re going to reduce our industry’s impact on the environment we also need to change the way we work. From innovative building techniques to digital resource management, here are five ways we can reduce waste in construction.

1. Embrace technology

One of the most effective ways to reduce waste during construction is to avoid creating any in the first place. Ordering the right amount of materials and making regular inventory checks can have a huge impact.?

At Holcim we’ve developed a free-to-use smartphone app to help our clients take the complexity and hassle out of ordering. ConcreteDirect enables customers to view upcoming orders, track progress of ongoing deliveries, and receive important notifications in real time. It’s a simple solution that doesn’t just cut down on waste but helps to reduce costs, too.?

2. Reusing waste

At Holcim climate action is at the heart of our strategy for green growth. That’s why we’ve invested in developing products that recycle construction & demolition waste.?

Just look at Susteno , the world’s first circular cement with a 38% lower carbon footprint and 20% recycled construction & demolition waste inside. Susteno is a truly circular solution.

3. Build more with less

New techniques are opening up new horizons in construction, enabling us to build more with less and make waste a thing of the past. Digital innovations in particular, are changing the way we think about building, enabling us to create increasingly complex structures with minimal materials.?

At Holcim we’re excited by the advances in 3D concrete printing, which uses up to 70% less materials than traditional processes. We’ve already put this technology to work to build everything from schools to wind turbine foundations to drive lower costs, speed up execution times and reduce waste.?

4. Recycling?

Led by science-driven targets we’re already world leaders in recycling, but we have ambitious plans to close the loop on waste within our operations. By 2025 we’ve committed to recycle 75 million tons of material, including 10 million tons of construction & demolition waste.?

Our mission is to fuel green growth within our own organization, but also to change the face of our entire industry by showing what can be achieved when it comes to waste. If more companies put sustainability and recycling at the core of their business, we could have a dramatic impact on construction waste.?

5. Revalue waste

With 80% of the global population expected to live in cities by 2050, the world needs to build the equivalent of New York City every month. But new buildings don’t have to mean new materials. Instead, demolition waste can be used to form the building blocks of entirely new structures.

Our Aggneo offer includes a range of high-quality aggregates that are processed using recycled demolition waste taken directly from the construction site. It enables us to turn old buildings into new developments, ensuring that vital resources aren’t necessarily depleted while reducing the impact of projects on landfill.?