PTZW announces FREE events for local authorities on reducing construction waste to landfill

Throughout March Pathway To Zero Waste is running free events across the South East to demonstrate how local authorities can drive down volumes of construction waste sent to landfill, releasing substantial cost and environmental benefits as a result.

Who should attend?

• Senior local government employees keen to drive changes in environmental policy and practice
• All local authority planning and procurement professionals
• Other public sector employees keen to understand how they can help reduce volumes of construction material going to landfill
• Construction professionals including architects and other pre-build specialists
• Planning consultants
• Environmentalists
• Anyone involved in newly emerging concepts such as localism and neighbourhood planning and Local Enterprise Partnerships
  
  

What’s the problem?
In 2009, construction activity in the South East resulted in 4.1m tonnes of material going to landfill – some 40% of the total.

Given that virtually all this material could be reused, recycled or have the energy recovered from it instead, this represents a huge waste of valuable resources. Especially when you consider that an estimated 10-15% of all construction material sent to landfill is brand new, over-ordered supplies.

It also does nothing to reduce the rate at which scarce natural materials are consumed, or the distances they are transported for use in construction projects in the South East – projects which could make use of locally-produced recycled alternatives instead.

How can local authorities help?
Local authorities are in a strong position to improve the sustainability of construction projects through the planning system, and also, as major construction clients themselves, through their own procurement processes.

Following consultation with local authority planners and senior representatives from the construction and waste management industries, PTZW has developed recommendations for local authorities, setting out approaches to increase the use of reclaimed and recycled materials in construction, and limit the amount of surplus and ‘waste’ material that is landfilled.

What are the benefits?

• Less material going to landfill
• Reduced landfill disposal and other operating costs
• Reduced reliance on expensive virgin materials
• Fewer transport miles with resulting emissions and reduced loss of embodied carbon in landfilled materials
• New revenue streams created by increased demand for materials to be recovered and recycled
• Business growth and job creation opportunities through need for new reuse and recycling facilities

What happens next?
Throughout March, PTZW is running free-to-attend events across the South East, at which it will set out the steps local authorities can take to drive a significant shift in the way materials are managed on the construction projects they permit, and commission. The workshops are being delivered for PTZW by construction consultancy Cyril Sweett.

Dates and venues are listed below:

Dates and Venues
2 March 2011	9.30am to 12pm	Oxford City Hall
3 March 2011	9.30am to 12pm	Eastbourne Town Hall
4 March 2011	9.30am to 12pm	MWB Business Centre, Guildford
11 March 2011	9.30am to 12pm	Chichester County Hall
16 March 2011	2.30pm to 5pm	Ashburton Hall, Winchester
17 March 2011	9.30am to 12pm	Hove Town Hall
18 March 2011	9.30am to 12pm	Reading Town Hall
23 March 2011	9.30am to 12pm	Guildford Holiday Inn
24 March 2011	9.30am to 12pm	Aylesbury New Road Holiday Inn
29 March 2011	9.30am to 12pm	Portsmouth Guildhall
30 March 2011	9.30am to 12pm	Oakwood House, Maidstone

 

To find out more and book your place please contact
PTZW@cyrilsweett.com