How to Reduce Your Project’s Waste

Brief 

By recycling building materials, you can reduce the waste that occurs during a build and make sure your extension, self build or renovation is as green as possible.

Insight

Waste inevitably occurs during a build, but by recycling building materials, you can reduce this to as low a level as possible. Of course, in an ideal world you’d only order exactly the right amount of materials that building your eco house required, but over-ordering by a percentage to account for potential wastage when cutting and installing materials is standard in the construction industry.

However, by re-purposing your leftover materials, recycling them or finding them a new home, you’ll ensure that as much of your building waste as possible remains out of landfill. Whether you’re looking to save the planet or just save a bit of money on waste disposal costs, here’s 7 avenues to explore when it comes to recycling building materials.

1. Find Recycling Programmes for Virgin Building Materials

When it comes recycling building materials in the purest sense, it’s often limited to waste new materials, as well as other waste that has not been ‘contaminated’ by mixing with other materials.

Plasterboard is a good example a material that does have the potential to be recycled, but really only offcuts of new plasterboard rather than plasterboard from demolition.

As gypsum-based products such as plasterboard can’t be disposed of in landfill with biodegradable waste, your local authority should offer either a plasterboard recycling or disposal scheme. If it’s the latter, it’s worth investigating private plasterboard recycling schemes for a greener build, which will collect and recycle waste plasterboard for a fee.

2. See if There’s a Market for Reclaimed Materials

When it comes to disposing of waste building materials when stripping or demolishing a property, if the materials are in good condition, then there’s the possibility that they may be of interest for reclamation. Of course, you may be able to find a buyer independently, likely netting you a greater profit, but selling to a reclamation yard is a good option for those short on time.