by Rebecca Lee
In Australia, the construction and demolition (C&D) industry has an unenviable record of producing around 38% of all waste generated in the country.
In real terms, this amounts to about 29 mega tonnes, much of which is concrete, timber, steel, brick and hazardous chemicals that, if not disposed of responsibly, will end up in landfill. Potentially doing serious damage to the environment.
Subsequently, for any construction company that has these types of materials and substances onsite, it is important that they have a good waste management system in place to reduce their carbon footprint.
But what exactly is a good storage solution, and how can it improve the way your business deals with its offscourings?
In this post, we will address these questions and outline how implementing such a system can give you a notable advantage over your competitors.
What is a Waste Management System?
A waste management system is a streamlined process which many businesses use to prevent, reduce, reuse and dispose of the detritus they generate.
Within the construction industry, this typically involves collecting, transporting, sorting, recycling, and disposing of various types of materials, substances, and matter, most of which are produced during various building, renovation, or demolition projects.
Some of the most common types of waste construction companies produce include the following:
- Adhesive
- Brick
- Concrete
- Glass
- Hazardous Materials
- Insulation
- Paints
- Plasterboard
- Plastic
- Solvents
- Tiles
- Timber
Essentially, an effective waste management system is designed to minimise the amount of waste companies send to landfills.
It also involves adhering to state and federal government regulations, reducing the environmental impact of construction, and ensuring the work zone or site is safely maintained.
What Are Some Good Storage Solutions for Waste Management?
When it comes to managing the waste your construction business creates, there are several storage mechanisms you can employ. However, the best ones are easy to use, durable and provide you with an efficient solution to get rid of the refuse.
One of the most popular options is colour-coded or clearly labelled bins, which can help you recycle or dispose of your superfluous materials much more efficiently.
Additionally, stackable or compact containers can help you save space. While sealed, airtight bins prevent unpleasant odours from getting out and nasty pests from getting in.
For hazardous materials, there are specialised containers, such as chemical bunds, that can keep your worksite safe and compliant. You can find out more about them here.
Why is waste management important?
Having an effective waste management solution is essential within a construction site.
Not only does it improve workplace safety and efficiency by maintaining clean and clutter-free areas, but it also streamlines the amount of waste you need to dispose of.
Below are some of the main benefits of doing so.
1. Better Segregation of Your Waste
On any given construction site, there are different types of waste, including hazardous materials, organic matter and items that can be recycled.
If we don’t separate them properly, they can get mixed up, which makes it much harder to dispose of them in the most responsible way and increases their chances of ending up in landfill.
This is where storage solutions like labelled bins and colour-coded containers come in handy because they make it much easier to segregate waste at the source.
In turn, using them will minimise health and environmental risks, reduce contamination in waste streams and ensure things that can be recycled will be.
If you are not sure what can be recycled from a construction site, this post should make it a bit clearer.
2. Makes for a Safer Working Site
Safety should be a major concern for any construction site. Particularly, one with that has hazardous materials like petrol, explosives, caustic soda, paints, glues and lubricants onsite.
If these are not properly stored, they have the potential to cause toxic leaks or explosions that can severely injure, harm or even kill members of your crew.
Proper solutions, like lockable or sealed containers and chemical bunds, ensure that these materials are stored safely, thereby reducing the chance of spills or exposure that can result in accidents occurring.
They are also compliant with state and federal laws, which help your business avoid penalties or convictions by staying compliant with safety rules.
3. Keep Your Site Clean and Hygienic
If you don’t employ good methods for storing your waste, it can result in a range of health issues relating to poor hygiene and pest infestation due to the spread of bacteria and germs.
Sealed and easy-to-clean bins are a vital way to maintain cleanliness and workplace health and safety. They will also make your site a better-looking and smelling place in which to work.
Whichever ones you choose, just make sure they are durable, as that will prevent leaks and spills from getting out of them and attracting rodents and insects.
4. Creates More Space
Construction sites can get crowded, as space can be at a premium, which means there is often limited room available for storing materials and waste.
Therefore, introducing the right storage solutions can go a long way towards optimising the space you do have available onsite to ensure your crew work better, and the waste does not interfere with their daily operations.
5. You Can Save Money
One benefit of using the right waste storage solutions that is easy to overlook is that they can save your company money in the long run.
The more efficient storage solution you can employ, the more it will reduce how often you will need to have waste collected, which will subsequently result in you having to pay lower costs for disposing of them.
Additionally, by correctly storing and responsibly disposing of hazardous materials, you will eliminate the potential of being fined for doing so incorrectly.
At the same time, you can even benefit from financial incentives and tax breaks if you recycle your waste properly.
6. You Will Help the Environment
Choosing the right storage options for your construction waste can make a big difference to the environment.
When you employ a proper waste management system, it makes it easy for people to more efficiently recycle items.
It also makes it easy to dispose of these items in a responsible and ethical way, especially if you hire a specialist rubbish removal company who can do it for you.
In the short term, you might think this will make a minimal difference. But over the course of a year and thereafter, it can significantly reduce your carbon footprint and the environmental toll of waste.
7. Comply with Environmental Regulations
In Australia, construction companies are legally required under state legislation to have a proper waste management system in place. Otherwise, they could face hefty fines and severe legal consequences, not to mention the significant damage to their reputation, which might take years to recover from.
The mandate will differ between states and territories. But this is what is expected of companies in Queensland.
For this reason, employing the right storage solutions will go a long way towards helping construction companies meet these regulatory requirements.
PR & Marketing Opportunity
Do you know how much waste your construction company generates every year?
Australia’s construction industry is subject to strict regulations regarding waste management, including the requirement to track and report waste generation and disposal.
Today, there are a range of modern storage systems that come with a suite of digital tracking features that allow construction companies to keep track of the amount of waste they generate, monitor the disposal process, and maintain records for reporting purposes.
Having the right storage solutions can provide your company with a good way to track it, which in turn can present an excellent PR or marketing opportunity.
Today, reducing costs, becoming more sustainable and preventing greenhouse gas emissions is something that more people than ever want to see companies do.
Therefore, it follows that if you are able to quantify the amount of waste you produce, and, in particular, how much you save from going to landfill by recycling or reusing materials, it will provide you with something positive you can promote in your advertising campaigns or media releases.
Doing this can also help you to win new business from clients who want to employ a construction company that has a social conscious.
Conclusion
For any business in Australia, effective waste management is a critical part of its daily workflow. But it is particularly important in a sector like the construction industry that produces such vast quantities of waste every year.
Every company is mandated by its state government to employ a good waste disposal system, so it is important that it takes this responsibility seriously.
Adopting the right storage solutions will go a long way towards helping them do that and provide additional benefits that will save them money, improve productivity, and, most importantly, keep their staff safe from the potential for injury or fatality.
Moreover, not only will their people benefit from this commitment and practice, but ultimately, the environment will, too.
Rebecca is the Content Manager at Extras, a freelance writer, and an avid reader of self help books with a focus on finance. A big believer in taking action, she wastes no time tackling obstacles that lie ahead. When it comes to her endeavors in business and entrepreneurship, she’d rather be stuck with oh well than what if.