Project NoWaste (NoW) is a partnership project between Greenfile Developments, Bovis Lend Lease (BLL), UCATT the construction union and Business Link for London. It aims to link lean construction techniques to a low-carbon economy. The focus of NoW includes disseminating lean construction techniques to construction supervisors and operatives with specific emphasis on waste reduction. It is part-sponsored by the Carbon Trust.

Project W8 is a 250,000 sq ft mixed use development by Stanhope Plc for The Crown Estate along Regent Street, London W1. BLL is the main contractor and Clipfine is the logistics contractor.

Waste in Construction
One of the issues facing construction is waste. It was estimated¹ that between 15-20% of all building materials entering a construction site end up in skips.

This is incongruent with the Climate Change Levy sector energy saving targets of 10% for the construction materials sector2. The NoW partners aim to address this through actions at the construction site level to reduce waste through awareness raising and skills development. Part of the outcomes from NoW is therefore skills development in the areas of managing waste. It is important for construction site teams to become more aware of their personal responsibilities towards waste reduction and the development of these skills will enable any architect/designer- or project manager- level actions to reduce waste to be implemented more effectively.

at work

ready for assessment

Partners in Managing Waste The logistics team is seen as a major partner in waste reduction as they are likely to be one of the few trade contractors that will remain on site for the duration of the project. Therefore these teams are ideal candidates to act as the local waste champions in partnership with the main contractor. To explore the viability of this approach, a pilot project was established at Project W8 with Clipfine, the logistics contractor.

Training Programme The training and development programme for the eleven members of the logistics team was based on the NVQ in Waste Management Operations. All the candidates were successful in achieving the NVQs following on-site training and assessment provided by Greenfile Developments / Clipfine and SERAC (South East Regional Assessment Centre) respectively. The NVQs were developed by WAMITAB, the Waste Management Industry Training and Advisory Board - the awarding body for waste management NVQs.

training session

Funding support for the NVQs came from Building London Creating Futures through the EQUAL Community Initiative and the Cross River Partnership.

What Happens Next

• Encourage the inclusion of waste reduction as part of all BLL construction site Induction programmes.
• Train logistics team members to become local "Waste Champions".
• BLL is working with the Building London Creating Futures programme to disseminate the NoWaste approach to other BLCF projects.

1. Michael Roberts, Confederation of Construction Clients, NetRegs Construction Sector Guidelines launch, London October 18th 2002
2. "Climate Change Agreements- Sector Energy Efficiency Targets" Version 2, ETSU, 2001