Sustainability in the building and construction industries is about balancing environmental, social and economic concerns as well as considering the impact that today’s decisions will have for future generations.
Sustainable design and building processes and the carbon footprint of materials are under increasing scrutiny and regulation at every stage.
Plastic Surgeon is committed to helping achieve sustainable construction and to minimising the impact we have on the environment. High quality repair is a sustainable option, it’s far more environmentally friendly, not to mention cost-effective, to repair rather than replace – and that goes for both refurbishment and new build projects.
On site damage to building components can and does happen and replacements cost more in terms of money, time and labour, and can significantly delay delivery of a project.
By carrying out cosmetic repairs builders and contractors can keep a project on time, on budget, and improve their waste management credentials, helping to achieve and maintain sustainable construction. Legislation, such as the legally enforceable requirement of Site Waste Management Plans for any project valued at over £300,00 will only increase, so a long-term commitment to repair rather than replace will reap rewards.
Corporate and Social Responsibility
By repairing damaged items and reducing waste we help companies achieve their targets for waste reduction, and provide hard data for reporting on Corporate Social Responsibility.
For companies who have signed up to the ‘Halving Waste to Landfill’ commitment to halve the amount of construction waste going to lanfill by 2012, Plastic Surgeon’s
VisibilITy reporting system can provide the hard facts. It shows our customers exactly how many tonnes of waste they have saved from landfill as well as supporting facts and figures.
Waste in the skip is not all we save. There are also the resources that went into making each item not to mention the labour and transport at every stage before finally fitting it into the building. The upstream CO2 footprint of almost any product used by the building industry is pretty impressive.
Whether it is for the annual Corporate Social Responsibility report, the ISO14001 audit, or just because efficiency matters to business, we already save our customers thousands of tonnes of waste and CO2 emissions, and can provide them with the data to prove it.
Landfill facts
- The construction industry is responsible for 120 million tonnes of construction, demolition and excavation waste every year – around one third of all waste in the UK.*
- The cost of waste can be as much as £43/m2 in typical construction projects.†
- For every tonne of household waste produced, commercial, industrial and construction businesses produce another six tonnes.#
*http://www.wrap.org.uk/construction/halving_waste_to_landfill/index.html
† Source: Environment Agency 2008
# http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/topics/