The construction industry in Australia has seen enormous growth in the past ten years.
Commercial buildings and residential complexes have been springing up at a rapid rate, in all of Australia’s large cities, including Sydney.
However, these projects also produce a hefty amount of waste. In fact, in 2017, that waste consisted of about 20 million tons of material.
That is an enormous amount of construction waste to deal with. So, what happens to it?
What does the waste consist of?
First of all, it’s important to know exactly what kinds of materials make up this construction waste.
The biggest offenders when it comes to building waste are concrete, rubble, brick, scrap metal, timber and joinery, tiles, plaster and plastics.
Moreover, these waste types can come from a wide range of projects, including both building projects and demolition jobs.
Whether it be commercial construction, residential construction, office demolition, residential demolition or kitchen strip-outs, waste management must be considered.
How much ends up in landfill?
Over 2016 and 2017, roughly 6.7 million tons went to landfill.
Furthermore, a lot of our waste is actually shipped to China, Indonesia and other countries, where it is then disposed of.
However, our government has encountered problems with stringent import requirements, and problems with contaminated waste.
This has resulted in Indonesia and China sending waste back to us, which is fair enough.
But this is just one of the reasons we must improve our recycling and repurposing of construction waste.
How much do we actually recycle?
We recycle about half of all construction waste that is produced each year.
At roughly 10 million tons of construction waste, it may sound like a lot. Unfortunately, though, it’s nowhere near enough.
Therefore, it’s essential that building companies and waste removal contractors are more responsible with the disposal of this waste.
How can we do better?
Hiring a professional Sydney rubbish removal company to handle waste goes a long way to ensuring waste is properly recycled.
At Sydney City Rubbish, we are all about sustainability. Therefore, we partner with certified recycling facilities to get the best result.
As well as this, we ensure waste segregation where necessary, and we’re also committed to reusing and repurposing materials when possible.
Every single building or demolition company must also look at ways to reuse and repurpose more of its construction waste.
For example, hundreds of thousands of tons of brand-new materials like tiles, brick and wood are simply thrown away every year.
This must change, for the good of the environment and the construction industry in general.
To discuss responsible waste management for your construction rubbish, get in touch with Sydney City Rubbish here.
