The Considerate
Constructors Scheme has launched its industry-wide campaign ‘Spotlighton...plastics and packaging’ to raise awareness and showcase best practice
in how the construction industry can reduce, reuse and recycle plastics and
packaging.
The launch of the
campaign - which features on the industry’s Best Practice Hub - comes in
response to startling findings from a Scheme survey of over 900 people working
within the UK and Irish construction industries.
The survey discovered
that although over 95% of respondents said the industry needs to be doing
something to reduce its consumption of plastics and packaging, over half of
respondents (51%) have little understanding of the rules and regulations
surrounding plastics and packaging, and only 44% know how to recycle different
plastic and packaging materials.
The survey also
revealed that:
- 98%
said the over-consumption of plastics and packaging is a global issue.
- 92%
believe plastics and packaging are extremely dangerous to the environment.
- 81%
said the construction industry is not doing enough to reduce its
consumption of plastics and packaging.
- 31%
said they frequently use plastics and packaging that cannot be reused or
recycled.
With the construction
industry being the second largest consumer of plastics in the UK, it is
imperative that the construction industry reconsiders the way it consumes and
disposes of plastics and packaging to protect the environment and all life.
The Scheme is calling
on all construction sites, companies, suppliers and clients of construction
projects to drastically reduce their consumption of plastics and packaging. Not
only does this offer significant improvements for the environment and society
as a whole, it also makes commercial business sense, with many organisations
reporting significant cost savings achieved.
‘Spotlight on…plastics and
packaging’ provides
a suite of resources to help the industry to address this issue. It includes a
range practical case studies and guidance from contractors, clients and service
suppliers including: AMA Waste Management; Aztec; Balfour Beatty; Crossrail;
Environment Agency; Griffiths; Knight Build; Protec; Right Waste Right Place;
Mace; Morgan Sindall; Multiplex; Skanska; Sir Robert McAlpine; Wates and Ward.
Considerate
Constructors Scheme Chief Executive, Edward Hardy said: “As construction is the
second largest consumer of plastic in the UK, our industry has one of the
greatest responsibilities to society, and to the environment, to ensure that we
are working tirelessly to improve our standards in minimising waste from
plastics.
“The Scheme’s ‘Spotlight
on…plastics and packaging’ campaign provides resources, practical support
and guidance helping everyone to take effective measures to tackle this issue.
While considerable progress is being made – with over 76% of Scheme-registered
construction sites setting targets to reduce, reuse and recycle waste – it is
clear that a concerted effort to raise further awareness, and to provide the
necessary support, is needed to achieve this drastic reduction in waste from
plastics and packaging.”
‘Spotlight on…plastics
and packaging’ follows a number of hugely successful industry campaigns which
the Scheme hosts on the Best Practice Hub. In 2018, the Scheme launched the ‘Spotlight
on…air pollution’ and ‘Spotlight
on…the next generation’ with follow-on e-learning courses in
each topic. These campaigns have received over 48,000 views to date, with over
50,000 courses being taken.
