Construction and demolition projects and companies are some of the biggest producers of waste in Australia and indeed, the world. This waste ends up in landfills much of the time, with less than half of it recycled.
Reducing construction waste in Sydney is critical, but thankfully, we’re equipped with more knowledge and insight than ever before. With this information, we’re able to implement practices that more effectively create a sustainable worksite, and reduce construction waste.
At Sydney City Rubbish, we’re no strangers to building and demolition waste. We remove plenty of this waste and even conduct demolitions and strip-outs ourselves. We understand the importance of waste separation as well as anyone, so let’s delve into it below.
What is waste separation in construction and demolition?
So, what exactly is waste separation?
This term refers to separating waste by material, to make the reusing or recycling process much easier. For example, keeping plastic waste and timber separate, with another bin or area for metal. Waste separation also applies to subdivisions of the same material, such as soft plastics vs hard plastics and keeping treated timber away from untreated products.
It all comes down to how the material can be recycled or reused.
Why should you separate construction and demolition waste?
Separating construction waste should be done for a few different reasons. Most importantly, it makes reusing, recycling, and disposing of building rubbish much easier. Whether or not you work with a waste management company, dividing waste types makes everyone’s life easier.
Sustainability is critical and waste separation is a key action that can be taken to ensure a more environmentally friendly building site. It can also help businesses save money, by making it easier to recover useable resources.
How to effectively separate construction waste
The act of separating waste must be done with attention to detail in mind. What’s more, there is a range of factors that can influence how effectively you and your employees are actually separating construction rubbish. We’ll take a look at them below.
Understand your waste
It’s impossible to correctly separate waste without understanding the difference between each material. For instance, employees may inadvertently place treated timber in the same waste pile as untreated hardwoods.
This becomes an issue because there are plenty of uses for second-hand hardwoods, while treated timbers cannot be burned, mulched, or used in a range of other applications. This mixing of resources then makes it much harder to have the material recycled, or repurposed.
Therefore, education for employees is an essential part of creating a functional and effective waste separation and management system.
Appoint a waste supervisor
Appointing a waste supervisor is an effective way to ensure that responsible waste management is always a priority on site. They can advise others on appropriate action, the best practices for separating waste, and explain the process to fellow employees.
Having someone keep an eye on the process makes it much easier to implement an effective waste separation program on your building site. And the best thing is that it doesn’t take a large time commitment for your employee.
Allocated areas/bins
There must be allocated piles or bins for each type of waste on your building site. Without this, it will be impossible to separate waste for efficient removal. A rubbish removal company will be able to provide a range of different bins for use, making the entire process much more clear.
Clear signage
Providing bins for waste management is one thing, but adequate signage is another. This is critical for a smooth operation because we all know how much different waste ends up in various bins on building sites.
Clear signage should announce which bin is for which type of waste. What’s more, additional signage can help to explain the importance of separating waste, as well as providing convenient reminders around the building site.
Professional rubbish removal
Working with rubbish removal professionals is one of the best ways to ensure an effective waste separation plan is implemented. As we mentioned earlier, at Sydney City Rubbish we’ve been doing this for years… so we know our stuff.
We work with a number of building and demolition companies, big and small, to deliver excellent waste management solutions. That includes a wide range of bins, scheduled rubbish removal, advice on waste segregation, and much more.
Hiring a professional Sydney rubbish removal company puts you in an excellent position to create a more environmentally friendly and responsible building site. At Sydney City Rubbish, we’re the best in the business.
What kinds of waste makeup construction and demolition waste?
Construction and demolition waste is made up of a wide range of materials. It varies from site to site, but there are several common materials found all over the country.
Timber and wood waste
Timber and wood waste are common on all sorts of building and demolition projects in Sydney. The great thing about timber is that as long as it isn’t treated, there are a wide range of ways that this material can be reused or recycled.
Metal
Scrap metal comes in many forms but is almost always highly recyclable. Separating metal from other materials is a must, and it’s even better if you’re able to separate individual metals from each other, such as copper and steel.
Plastic
Plastic makes up wrapping, piping, packaging, and much more. Separating hard plastics from soft is a must because many soft plastics cannot be recycled.
Natural materials
A wide range of natural materials will inevitably pop up on building sites. This includes stone, plaster, and soil. Separating these materials from each other makes the entire recycling process much smoother.
Get in touch with us today
At Sydney City Rubbish, we’re ready to help handle your Sydney building rubbish. Simply get in touch with us today.
