WRAP Welcomes Launch of Strategy for Sustainable Construction

• 
• 13th June 2008
• Recycling
 

WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) has welcomed today's launch (11 June) of the Government's Strategy for Sustainable Construction.

Chief Executive Liz Goodwin, said:

"The launch of the Strategy for Sustainable Construction provides a clear direction for the industry as it strives to reduce its environmental impact. In particular, we welcome confirmation of the target to halve construction waste to landfill by 2012. We consider that this target is not only achievable but that many organisations are already making progress and reporting extremely positive results.

It is our firm belief that achieving significant reductions in the amount of waste being sent to landfill will only be made possible as a result of co-ordinated efforts which effectively target all stakeholders within the supply chain. WRAP will therefore work closely alongside the other organisations that have each been allocated specific areas of focus in the Strategy in order to ensure the overarching target of halving waste to landfill is reached."

In support of the Strategy, and following an extensive period of consultation with sector bodies and individual organisations, WRAP is developing voluntary agreements with the construction industry on halving construction, demolition and excavation waste to landfill by 2012. These voluntary agreements will provide the industry with a framework and standard form of measurement for delivering the waste reduction targets that are part of both the Strategy for Sustainable Construction and the Strategic Forum's Construction Commitments.

Using resources more efficiently is fundamental to long term business improvement as well as the more obvious direct cost savings that can be achieved in the short term. Feedback from WRAP's consultation process indicates that industry is now ready to respond to the call to reduce waste and welcomes the opportunity to work as part of a common framework and reporting protocol to support the overarching target of halving of waste to landfill. WRAP has recently launched the Net Waste Tool that provides industry with a means to forecast the amounts, types and financial value of construction waste as well as a simple but robust metric for tracking its performance and demonstrating progress towards this target.

WRAP Press Office
Tel: 01295 817872