New guidelines aimed at cutting the waste created by construction and development (C&D) projects were unveiled today by Minister for the Environment Dick Roche.
Dick Roche: guidelines will radically alter the way we manage construction and demolition waste
The Best Practice Guidelines on the Preparation of Waste Management Plans for Construction & Demolition Projects were first drafted in September 2004 and promote an integrated approach to waste management, throughout the duration of a project.
Europe creates 500m tonnes of waste from C&D projects each year, and Ireland contributed 11m of that in 2004.
The state's current recovery rate for C&D waste is 82.5 per cent but the majority of this is soil and stones, leaving core materials unmanaged.
The guidelines are not mandatory but can be insisted upon by planning authorities before a C&D project begins.
The guidelines pay particular attention to the following types of projects:
- New residential development of 10 houses or more
- New developments other than above, including institutional, educational, health and other public facilities, with an aggregate floor area in excess of 1,250 m2
- Demolition/renovation/refurbishment projects generating in excess of 100m3 in volume, of C&D waste;
- Civil Engineering projects producing in excess of 500m3 of waste, excluding waste materials used for development works on the site.
"These guidelines will radically alter the way we manage construction and demolition waste; hopefully they will also change the mindset of practitioners in the industry towards greater recycling of C&D waste," said Mr Roche.
"The aim of these guidelines which apply to public and private sector projects, is to promote sustainable development, environmental protection and the optimum use of resources.
"I want the concept of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to be a 'front-of-mind' priority for all practitioners in this industry and I believe that over time they will achieve the necessary change in mindset to ensure further improved waste management performance in the sector" the Minister added.
Mr Roche was joined at the launch by Chairman of the National Construction and Demolition Waste Council (NCDWC) Mr Sean Hegarty, whose organisation endorsed the measures.