The construction industry’s forum on resource efficiency and waste reduction, visit: www.crwplatform.org.uk

Scoping study on flooring waste

Katherine Adams

23rd June 2009

The construction industry’s forum on resource efficiency and waste reduction

The construction industry’s forum on resource efficiency and waste reduction, visit: www.crwplatform.org.uk

What is CRWP?

• Partnership between AEA and BRE since 2006

• Developed a roadmap

• Provide strategic direction for construction resource efficiency

• Medium to long term

• Targets

• Government commitment to implement

• Support to the construction industry

• Evidence for Government policy

• Focus at the top of the waste hierarchy

The construction industry’s forum on resource efficiency and waste reduction, visit: www.crwplatform.org.uk

Background to study

• Sustainable Construction Strategy• CPA has a commitment to: prepare

and implement three resource plans

• Feed into ½ waste to landfill target

• Contract Flooring Association (CFA) showed an interest

• CRWP commissioned scoping study for a resource plan for flooring

• Work undertaken early 2009 by Pete Thomas of Pete Thomas Environmental

The construction industry’s forum on resource efficiency and waste reduction, visit: www.crwplatform.org.uk

Study objectives

• Define the requirements of a resource plan for flooring

• Define the issue – focusing on manufacturers / contractors with figures / facts on the amount and type of waste and how this is being managed

• Define the industry in terms of size, type value, imports/ exports

• Identify the extent of the problem and what are the key gaps

• Identify stakeholders and their activities – both within the flooring industry and externally.

• Identify initial recommendations and actions with timescales.

The construction industry’s forum on resource efficiency and waste reduction, visit: www.crwplatform.org.uk

What we included

The construction industry’s forum on resource efficiency and waste reduction, visit: www.crwplatform.org.uk

Market size

Market Size of UK Flooring Sector (million m2)

210

33

26

8.6

7.1

2.6

2

1

0 50 100 150 200 250

Carpet

Laminate

Vinyl

Ceramics

Resin

Wood

Linoleum

Rubber

Carpet Laminate Vinyl Ceramics Resin Wood Linoleum Rubber

The construction industry’s forum on resource efficiency and waste reduction, visit: www.crwplatform.org.uk

Waste arisings

Landfill/ secondary aggregaten/aResin

Landfill3,500Rubber

Landfill/incineration6,000Linoleum

Recycled/landfilled13,000Wood

Hardcore35,000Ceramics

Landfill/incineration36,700Vinyl

Landfill75,000Laminate

Landfill414,000Carpets

Current RouteArisings

(tonnes)

Type

The construction industry’s forum on resource efficiency and waste reduction, visit: www.crwplatform.org.uk

Key findings

• Lack of cost drivers to encourage recovery

• Contamination

• Complex composition

• Cost of processing

• Quantity and location of waste

• Transportation

• Waste licensing

• Distributors

The construction industry’s forum on resource efficiency and waste reduction, visit: www.crwplatform.org.uk

Recommendations

• Establish a roadmap/resource plan

• One stop shop

• Identify end uses – support with funding

• Survey of waste

• Communicate with distributors

• Clean handling system

• Definition of carpet waste?

• Specifications for recovered flooring wastes

• Resource efficiency programme for UK carpet manufacturers

• Mixed floor collection scheme

• Voluntary agreements

The construction industry’s forum on resource efficiency and waste reduction, visit: www.crwplatform.org.uk

Next steps

• Publication of scoping document

• More work to be funded by WRAP and BRE

Trust

• Lots of stakeholder engagement

• Develop resource plan and practical action

plans for materials

<1% of flooring waste is recovered or

recycled

The construction industry’s forum on resource efficiency and waste reduction, visit: www.crwplatform.org.uk

Thank you

Katherine Adams

E: adamsk@bre.co.uk

T: 01923 664478