Jane Goddard, managing director of building performance services and deputy CEO at BRE, outlines why waste management in the construction industry must evolve to meet the UK’s economic and environmental goals
The growing importance of construction to the UK is undeniable. With the government pledging to deliver the highest sustained growth in the G7 and build 1.5m homes, the industry will be at the heart of the country’s economic expansion.
Meeting these targets will require an unprecedented push to upgrade infrastructure and accelerate development – all the while ensuring the UK remains committed to reaching net zero by 2050.
Currently, 62% of all waste in the UK comes from construction. The industry has long struggled with inefficiencies in waste management, largely due to outdated manual processes, inconsistent data collection and reactive rather than proactive strategies.
But as AI reshapes industries worldwide, construction has an opportunity to revolutionise how it manages waste and reduces its carbon footprint.
A longstanding commitment to sustainability
Launched in 1998, SmartWaste has long contributed to industry progress towards sustainable and transparent waste management, supporting over 27,000 projects with a total value of £305bn. It has helped track over 90m tonnes of waste, assisting contractors in reducing environmental impact and ensuring compliance with sustainability standards.
Despite the progress made, there is scope for waste management methods to go much further. Manual monitoring and auditing come with natural limitations, including infrequent data collection and the risk of human error in uploading and reporting data.
These inaccuracies make it harder for contractors to track subcontractor performance and monitor project sustainability.
The launch of SmartWaste Scan
To address these challenges, BRE has launched SmartWaste Scan, an innovative mobile application that transforms waste management. This AI-powered upgrade eliminates the inefficiencies of manual data entry, significantly improving accuracy and operational efficiency.
SmartWaste Scan’s upgraded platform utilises optical character recognition and machine learning to extract and verify data from waste tickets and material notes in real-time. This ensures seamless reporting under a single platform, allowing contractors to have complete oversight of their projects.
Efficiency benefits are already being felt among SmartWaste users. Six customers have trialled SmartWaste Scan and experienced a 24% reduction in processing time per document compared to traditional data entry.
This includes engineering and construction company VolkerFitzpatrick, which handles a significant amount of excavation waste and subsequent paperwork across its developments.
By harnessing the ability of SmartWaste Scan to streamline the capture of site evidence, the company was able to track the use of 30,000 tonnes of recycled aggregate and the re-use of more than 60,000 tonnes of soil on a recent project.
By mitigating errors and freeing up resource, companies like VolkerFitzpatrick are able to better satisfy reporting requirements to hit internal and external ESG commitments and ensure their ongoing credibility to achieve net zero.
AI’s growing role in waste management in the construction industry
While AI has been used in construction since the early 2000s, advancements in machine learning and computing power over the past decade have unlocked new capabilities.
The sector now relies on AI for predictive analytics, automated design and, increasingly, sustainability initiatives. SmartWaste Scan is a prime example of how AI is being deployed to improve efficiencies while addressing the industry’s significant waste challenge.
Crucially, the integration of AI into waste management goes beyond simply saving time. It provides a data-driven approach that allows contractors to make informed decisions, optimise resource use and track sustainability performance with greater accuracy.
As the UK aims for net zero, such innovations will be essential in ensuring that economic growth does not come at the cost of environmental responsibility.
Construction waste accounts for the majority of the UK’s total waste output. As such, there is an urgent need for smarter, tech-driven solutions that are easy to implement and tailored across private and public sectors.
The launch of SmartWaste Scan heralds a major turning point for the built environment’s journey to net zero and will help ensure the UK’s mission for economic growth can be truly sustainable.
