How technology is helping tackle waste in the construction industry

With the construction industry responsible for about a third of all waste (YES, A THIRD OF ALL WASTE), reducing wastage on site and in the supply chain is a big issue. Apart from the obvious impact on the environment, waste costs money. BRE estimate that once everything is taken in to account – wasted materials, hire, delivery, site management and disposal – a typical, filled skip costs a contractor over £1000. In the article ‘A win-win for waste with digital tools’, Stuart Blofeld, Digital Tools Lead Trainer at BRE, explains how digital tools, including the growth of handheld devices, is helping companies across the construction supply chain record, make visible, communicate and act upon data about waste. BRE estimate that using technology in this way has the potential to deliver an average £12,000 in savings per project. With so much development in and around Reading, and presumably also associated waste, it will be interesting to see whether over time Reading leads or lags in this area.