Construction Waste Removal
Waste production is an unavoidable part of building construction. Building or demolishing a house creates an enormous amount of waste. Waste is generated throughout the entire building process and the activities which create the most waste are:
Materials procurement: Excess materials that result from overestimating the quantity of materials needed for the project.
Building processes: Damaged or scrap materials created during construction.
Demolition: Mostly rubble, but can also be any kind of building material.
Types of construction waste
Due to the diversity of materials used in buildings, there are several types of construction waste:
Concrete and bricks
Plastic: PVC from piping, windows or sidings, and mixed plastics
Ceramic and tile
Wood: Treated and untreated wood
Insulation materials: Including hazardous materials containing asbestos
Ferrous and nonferrous metals
Glass: Mostly from old windows
Soils, stone, clay, and dredging waste
Drywall: Various types of gypsum materials
Asphalt: Mostly discarded asphalt shingles
Paints, varnishes, adhesives, sealants, oil, coal tar, and bituminous mixtures
Packaging materials and containers
Other waste materials, such as, fluorescent bulbs and plasterboard.
Construction waste management
How construction waste is managed has serious implications for how quickly and safely construction can proceed, explains Lonnie Bush PM. Moreover, a lot of the waste generated by the building process is dangerous. Effective waste management during construction is important for several reasons.
Compliance with regulations
For good reasons, the disposal of construction waste is highly regulated. A lot of this waste cannot be reintroduced directly into nature without endangering human lives and the environment. Asbestos, for instance, is a recognized carcinogen. Other types of construction waste will pollute natural water sources and kill wildlife.
Reducing costs
Letting waste accumulate in a construction site hinders efficiency. Efficient waste removal permits easy movement of men and materials. If workers have to negotiate mounds of refuse, it shaves hours off the time they spend doing actual work. Efficient waste management ensures that projects are delivered on time and within budget.
Improved safety
Even without accumulated waste, there is a high risk for injuries in construction sites. Most times, the ground is strewn with sharp objects and there is an abundance of opportunities for slips and falls. Furthermore, stored hazardous waste like asbestos poses an unnecessary danger to site workers.
Protecting the company’s reputation
Efficient construction waste management helps to create an impression of the builder as a competent organization. Being able to finish projects on time, a stellar safety record, and an absence of litigations (by aggrieved former workers claiming damages for exposure to hazards) are a few of the things potential clients look for in a builder.
Corporate social responsibility
A construction company that manages construction waste efficiently is playing its role as a corporate citizen. The rewards for doing this can come in unexpected ways, such as the organization being viewed as an environmentally friendly company. The level of a builder’s eco-friendliness is a quality people look at before dealing with the company.
The best way to manage construction waste
Given its impact on performance and the environment, how construction companies manage construction waste is important. If the builder has to assign some of its workers to remove the waste, that decision will ripple through the project in the form of:
More are hours spent on work that is not directly related to building construction.
Site supervisors having to redirect their time to overseeing waste removal.
Depletion of actual time spent on construction, with the result in costs that are inflated and overall efficiency suffers.
Inefficient and costly waste removal because those handling the task lack the training and permit to do a professional job.
Furthermore, if waste removal is done in-house, the builder’s ability to deploy with speed to the next project is hampered. That’s because they must wait to clean up the current site before moving out. The effect of this is deadlines for the next project are also missed.
This is why outsourcing waste removal site is the best way for construction companies to handle this problem. Hiring a competent waste removal company will:
Let the builder focus on what they do best
Help the company meet municipal regulations without additional effort
Save money that would have been lost through inefficient waste management
Reduce the risk of legal liabilities from injuries and exposure to hazardous substances
Most construction companies understand how strategic partnerships with contractors and suppliers can help facilitate a builder’s success. A waste removal company is one such contractor builders need to build a partnership with.
If you are a builder with projects in the Maine, Colorado, Florida, Arizona, and Vermont areas, The Flat Rate Movers is who you should be talking to for all your construction waste removal needs.
We will work with you to create a waste removal program that is perfectly suited to your project and the types of waste the project will generate. Our teams are trained to work around the needs of your site workers to make waste removal completely unobtrusive.
To chat with The Flat Rate Movers today, click here.