RICS Logo
Twitter
LinkedIn
  • Home
  • News
  • What We Do
    • Business Rates Relief
    • Empty Property Rates Relief
    • Charities
  • Contact
0800 151 3361
Email Us
Reduce construction waste by redirecting to other contractors and suppliers

Unused materials database aims to reduce construction waste

September 23, 2020Kim Pidgeon

The mapping tool connects those with excess materials with those wanting to use them

Supply Chain Sustainability School has hit ‘go’ on its free Materials Exchange Platform Map (MEP Map).

The School is a collaboration working towards ‘a sustainable built environment’ and their mapping tool aims to help reduce the volume of waste entering landfill by providing construction contractors and their suppliers with a central database of local MEP projects.

The map is a quick way of finding a home for unused construction materials and been developed through a collaboration of the School’s industry partners, including BAM, Berkeley Group, Canary Wharf Contractors, Kier, John Sisk & Co, National Grid, Reconomy and Skanska.

How it works

The free mapping tool gives the user access to a national network of Materials Exchange Platforms and allows them to compare those in their local or regional areas. The user can search the database for materials by using filters based on location, MEP type and material information.

Matt Nichols, of Reconomy, and chair of the School’s Waste and Resource Efficiency group said: “Awareness of the importance of a circular economy – based on the principles of designing out waste and ensuring that we efficiently use all the products and materials that we buy – is definitely gathering pace.

“The MEP Map performs the crucial task of connecting those with excess materials and products to those who can make good use of them, therefore reducing the volume of waste we send to landfill.”

Alongside reducing waste by redirecting unused resources, the tool also aims to save contractors disposal costs and potentially generate additional income. Furthermore, it’s hoped the map will aid local businesses and smaller contractors by providing access to quality materials at a lower cost, or even free.

Mark Turner, of the Supply Chain Sustainability School, commented: “Whilst Materials Exchange Platforms are not new, they are sadly very much underused. We hope that by providing this interactive map to our 37,000 online members, and indeed the whole industry, we can more easily access the platforms that exist across the UK, to ensure less unused or over-ordered materials end up in landfill.”

The latest report (March 2020) from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), states that in 2016 the UK generated 66.2 million tonnes of non-hazardous construction and demolition (C&D) waste.

Waste occurs for a number of reasons including onsite via over-ordering, incorrect orders, mishandling materials, offcuts, and unnecessary packaging of materials.

Access to the MEP Map is free, through a free membership of the Supply Chain Sustainability School. Anyone can join.

Related Articles

Expected impact of Brexit deal on UK construction industry revealed in new report

February 26, 2019Kim Pidgeon

Business Secretary wants Carillion investigation broadened and ‘fast-tracked’

January 16, 2018Kim Pidgeon

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Unused materials database aims to reduce construction waste
  • Changing Places toilets to be compulsory in new public buildings
  • Avant Homes and Moorfield Group in £20m show homes sale
  • Coronavirus Pandemic: useful links for G15 Housing Associations
  • Ban on using credit cards for gambling in the UK from April 2020

Recent Comments

    Archives

    • September 2020
    • July 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • February 2017

    Categories

    • Advice
    • News
    • Tips
    • Uncategorized
    Twitter
    LinkedIn
    Caritas
    5 Chancery Lane
    London
    WC2A 1LG


    Tel: 0800 151 3361
    Email Us
    Caritas
    Cody Technology Park
    Old Ively Road
    Farnborough
    Hampshire
    GU14 0LX
    Tel: 0800 151 3361
    Email Us

    © Copyright Caritas | Privacy Notice | Cookie Policy