Page 40 - Hub-4 Magazine Issue 75

Recycling News
How Does the Construction Industry Tackle Hazardous Waste?
Tony Munro Marketing Director at Reconomy
The construction industry produces a substantial amount of waste every year. In fact, according to a study by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2018, this amounted to 62 per cent of all waste in the UK. And the Environmental Agency believes that the quantity of waste has increased in recent years due to the encouragement of brownfield remediation across the nation. So how do we tackle this?
The nation is tackling this issue with environmental legislation. In 2021, the Environmental Act introduced targets to improve waste reduction, including discouraging avoidable waste by 2050. To accomplish this, the shipment of hazardous waste will be regulated and a restriction will be placed on the export of these substances to countries that aren’t in the organisation for the economic cooperation and development (OECD).
This will encourage the nation to create innovative ways to dispose of hazardous waste correctly and sustainably. Here, we will explore how the construction industry currently tackles hazardous waste and consider whether a circular approach is the solution for a sustainable future within the UK.
What is hazardous waste?
Hazardous waste represents any unrecyclable materials produced on a construction site. These materials contain substances that can harm the local ecosystem, wildlife, and human beings.
Asbestos
Asbestos, microscopic fibres which are often found in materials from homes built before 2000, are among some of the most hazardous materials found on construction sites.
Professionals in the sustainable waste management industry are trained to perform asbestos removal services correctly.
It is imperative for professionals to dispose of asbestos correctly. Incineration, for example, is unsafe as the hazardous material contaminates the air and can cause harm to those who breathe in the fumes. Instead, these materials are sent to specialist landfills, so that they cannot contaminate the local ecosystem. This is problematic, however, due to the fact that asbestos cannot decompose naturally.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are man-made toxic substances, varying from liquids to solids and black to yellow. Though they were previously used within electrical equipment, these hazardous materials are now banned within the UK. There are only a few exceptions to this, including research purposes and, until 2025, transformers that contain less than 0.005% of toxic fluids.
PCBs can cause cancer in animals and disrupt the food chain within the sea. Therefore, it is important for professionals to
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