Architects and designers need to create future projects in such a way that waste can be eliminated right at the construction site, said James Hurley, Head, Resource Efficiency Group (REG), Hyder Consulting.
Speaking during a recent conference on construction waste management, he said the present slowdown in construction activities should be utilised to implement measures for better waste management,
Until last year, Dubai continued to be the leading producer of construction and demolition waste in the UAE. In 2008, Dubai produced 25 million tonnes of construction waste.
"Construction was at its peak last year resulting in a lot of waste generated in Dubai alone. Things have slowed down and the down turn could last for well over an year. Definitely this year the amount of construction and demolition waste will be less. But we need to prepare ourselves and utilise this opportunity to realign the way we go in future," he said.
According to Hurley, it is important to focus on waste as construction activity generates four to five times more waste compared to the amount generated by municipal activities.
Hurley also stressed the need for effective legislation and its proper implementation, which could bring about a change in practices.
He said tThe European Union has its own directives that all member states have to follow. "We have European waste catalog codes that every EU member state can choose from."
The government and municipally bodies, Hurley said, play a crucial role. "They can actually ensure that we move in the direction that we need to," he said.
Sharjah Municipality was the first emirate in the UAE to install a construction and demolition waste management facility in 2007.
The Dh40 million waste management factory located in Saja is developed and run by Emirates Environmental Technology Company under the supervision of Bee'ah, a limited liability joint stock company, partly owned by Sharjah Municipality.
Sharjah Municipality is also negotiating for a second construction and demolition waste facility. The new facility will have a capacity to recycle 4,000 metric tonnes of waste per day.
The new facility will be commissioned by the first quarter of 2010 and will cost the municipality Dh20m.
Dubai Municipality, as a strategic approach, has encouraged private sector partnership in the field of waste management and signed a contract with a private sector firm for a construction and demolition recycling facility for a capacity of 9.5 million tonnes per year on Build-Own-Operate basis.
Abu Dhabi, which is fast emerging as the leading emirate with majority of the construction activity, is building a waste management facility with a capacity to recycle 16,000 tonnes of waste every day.
According to Hurley, more crucial is the legislation and its regulation. "Legislation lays down very clear directions and its makes it mandatory for companies to implement necessary waste collection and management mechanism," he said.
On attainment of results he said it is not necessary to achieve uniform results in all construction sites.
"What we achieve on one project may not be achieved in others. But by learning and sharing the experiences of others we can start building in a much more sustainable fashion," he said.
It is also very important for developers to design out the waste, said Hurley. "Design element can include features where certain waste can be reused. Thereby we are designing for materials and for resource efficiency. This is where the 21st-century solutions to mitigation and adaptation really lie.
"We have been challenged in the 21st-century to develop design and build construction structures and buildings, which actually integrates sustainability. Resource efficiency is only part of that whole sustainable approach" he said.
"It is very important for us to look at whether the construction and infrastructure that we build have this circular approach to the recyclability and reusablility of materials and products.
"The question is, are we flexible? Are the buildings adaptable. Can they be converted from a school into an apartment block after a few years? Therefore it becomes important on how buildings are planned and built. The structure needs to be durable and also adaptable to incorporate the future requirements and changes that could be made.
"It is also very important to understand the cost of waste. The true cost is eight to 10 times that of the actual cost of waste that goes into the landfill. We need to come up with designs that can include provision for reutilisation of waste, and moreover, reduce waste and waste minimising initiatives should be adopted at the earliest. It is too late if the waste is being generated and is on site," said Hurley.
A constant monitoring of performance over a long period of time will add to the value. "Because then we are actually selling the value of our assets and selling the value of our resources," he added. "We also have to look at how we value resources," he said. "I am using the term resources because we are not talking of waste these days. Waste is about the 20th century. The 21st-century is about waste becoming resources and how we value these resources," said Hurley.
According to him, it is important to understand where the value is.
"It is all about how we get the return on our investment and where we would invest in future. And we need a change in our approach. We need to look at what the key waste products are and focus our attention on where there is return on investment. It is pointless spending money on things that are not working. Any measures, if not properly implemented, would yield no result. We need to develop techniques for the 21st-century," he said.
The value, he said, is in how jobs are created in resource efficiency.
"How we create jobs by processing and manufacturing 21st-century options for resource efficiency through pre-fabrication formula modules is where the real value is. They need to be future proof, deconstructable and recyclable," he added.
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