Documents & codes
What is construction and demolition waste?
Construction and demolition waste is waste arising from building, refurbishment and demolition. It is generated in large volumes, is mostly recoverable, and frequently contains hazardous elements.
Volume is what makes segregation worthwhile here more than anywhere else. Separating inert material, metal, timber and plasterboard on site changes the disposal cost of a project substantially.
It is also where hazardous material hides. Asbestos, contaminated soils, treated timber and certain insulation all appear in demolition arisings, and finding them at the transfer station rather than on site is the expensive order to find them in.
Plasterboard is the recurring specific problem: it cannot go to landfill with biodegradable waste because of the gas it generates, so it needs separating whether or not anything else does.
What goes wrong in practice
- Mixed skips used throughout a project because segregation needs space nobody allocated.
- Asbestos identified at the tip rather than in a pre-demolition survey.
- Plasterboard mixed into general loads.