100 leading organisations sign up to WRAP's Halving Waste to Landfill Commitment ...

29th June 2009

In just six months, 100 leading organisations from across the construction supply chain have committed to WRAP's (Waste & Resources Action Programme) Halving Waste to Landfill voluntary agreement, indicating that resource efficiency remains a priority despite the recession.

With the construction sector currently wasting around £1.5 billion annually in unused materials and sending some 25 million tonnes of waste to landfill every year, the growing number of signatories suggests mounting recognition of the economic and environmental case for change.

"Confirmation in the Budget for 2009 that landfill tax will continue to increase year-on-year gives an added incentive to this collaborative effort to reduce the amount of construction waste sent to landfill," comments Nick Raynsford, Chair of the Strategic Forum for Construction. "The industry's response to WRAP's Halving Waste to Landfill commitment  is encouraging and demonstrates a clear understanding that the cost savings that sustainable working can deliver are critical in a challenging economic climate."  

WRAP's voluntary agreement ‘Halving Waste to Landfill' was developed in consultation with the industry and focuses on providing a robust framework for measurement and reporting on progress against targets to halve the amount of construction, demolition and excavation waste sent to landfill by 2012. WRAP has a key role to play in providing practical support and tools to help implement the agreement. Signatories to the agreement will benchmark, measure and report progress, enabling WRAP to produce annual performance data for the sector.

CDE products and services are actively contributing to reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills for many operations in both the construction and demolition waste recycling markets as well as the municipal waste market.