Wallform components are supplied with the minimum amount of packaging possible
The campaign, ‘Spotlight on…plastics and packaging’, is a direct response a survey conducted by the CCS that found many respondents (95%) felt the construction industry needed to be doing more to reduce plastic waste. Of those surveyed, it was also interesting to note that less than half felt that they themselves knew how to deal with plastic waste in the correct manner.
Minimising the potential to generate waste in the first place is therefore key to helping solve this issue, and this is something that BecoWallform insulated concrete formwork does very well.
From the outset BecoWallform components require practically no packing beyond simple taping of the main components into easy-to-handle, lightweight packs. Minor components may be packed in bags which are then used to collect any scrap material which is recycled. Pallets used to aid mechanical offloading may also be recycled.
On site, Wallform construction requires only the use of ordinary, unpowered tools such as handsaws and pad saws. As the modular wallblocks are cut to length to suit the building’s dimensions, the modular ‘offcut’ pieces are built into the Wallform structure further on, rather than being consigned to the skip! This results in a typical Wallform wastage factor of only c.1.5%, substantially less than other building materials – on or off-site.
With construction of the Wallform complete, any clean, scrap polystyrene pieces may be recycled into new insulation building products. Any unused packs of Wallform components can be returned, allowing for their re-supply to a future project rather than scrapping them on-site.
As highlighted by the media in recent months, reducing plastic waste and improving recycling rates is clearly something every industry (and individual) should be aiming to achieve. For construction, products that require minimal packaging, combined with good housekeeping on site, is key to this if we are to see the dramatic reduction in plastic pollution that our environment so desperately needs.
For more information on the ‘Spotlight on…plastics and packaging’ campaign visit https://ccsbestpractice.org.uk/spotlight-on/spotlight-on-plastics-and-packaging/