Our main focus when it comes to reducing construction waste is on eliminating waste from all works on site in the first instance. We also continue to ensure that any waste created is reused or recycled as appropriate. During the year 2019-2020, 97.4% of our waste was diverted from landfill, which exceeds our target of 95%. This is a very slight decrease from 97.7% in 2019, which may be attributable to restricted access to some recycling facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We aim to reuse the vast majority of inert waste (including bricks, concrete and rubble) on our sites with the appropriate licences and specifications. At our Wendlescliffe development in Bishop Cleeve, we crushed existing demolition waste to an approved specification and reused this crushed material under private driveways.
A Cambridge Housetype on our Bishops Cleeve development in Wendlescliffe.
We also continue to support the Community Wood Recycling scheme – a social enterprise who provide a waste wood collection service from our sites. Throughout the year more than 600 tonnes of timber was collected from our sites by the scheme, which has all been recovered, providing jobs, training and opportunities for people who are otherwise marginalized from the labour market.
To achieve our recycling target, a key action for us has been engaging with sub-contractors and suppliers directly. An example of this is our Paint-Can Recycling scheme – in collaboration with Dulux. Through working closely with both paint contractors and merchants, more than 17,340 used paint-cans were recovered from our construction sites during the year and these were transformed into new materials and products. For every paint-can that is recycled, it means one less can clogging up landfill sites and polluting our green spaces.
Our recycling rate is one of highest in the Housebuilding industry and we have made good progress in recent years. We continue to take action aimed at increasing our resource efficiency and minimising the impact of our waste and a move towards a more sustainable, circular economy.
