Chapter 5: Waste management

This chapter concerns the main strategy, plans and legislation concerning waste management for the construction/engineering industry. ‘Construction and demolition waste’ is given a wide definition under the law. It means waste from the preparatory work, and from any improvement, repair or alteration of the construction or demolition works. It includes any items that had been part of an infrastructure. It also includes waste from the exploration or extraction of mineral resources. Whether it is builders generating waste or contractors dealing with waste (such as conducting groundworks) or operators of sites where the waste ends up, they all have legal obligations to classify the waste produced and code it correctly, and make sure that it goes to the right place. Common examples of construction and demolition waste include baths, sinks, toilets, doors, fences, paths, concrete posts, rubble, walls, brickwork, pipework, wiring, plasterboard, radiators, sinks and windows (Environment Agency, 2022a).