Waste management professionals are urging builders across the UK, to do more to recycle the millions of tonnes of construction waste they throw away each year
The building and construction industry is the UK’s largest user of natural resources and is responsible for more than a third of the nation’s rubbish.
According to waste management expert, Harsha Rathnayake, builders throw away more than 120 million tonnes of construction waste every year and a huge bulk of the materials could and should be recycled and reused.
Mr Rathnakaye is the founder of JunkHunters, a UK waste management service that has been collecting commercial rubbish in London for over a decade and recently opened a second centre in Birmingham.
The company works with many construction sector clients, visiting sites and collecting waste, 75% of which is subsequently recycled.
However, Mr Rarthnayake says that the majority of construction sector companies fail to consider using a waste management service, nor do they take additional steps to recycle their waste.
Mr. Rathnayake said: “Businesses are slowly becoming more conscious of the waste materials they produce but this change isn’t happening quickly enough.
“In a sector like the building industry, where it is possible to recycle the bulk of materials, then there really should be no excuse.
“If materials can’t be reused, then we assess whether they can be recycled and we work closely with contractors across the UK to ensure materials reach the relevant processing and recycling centres.
“We’ve been operating in London for over ten years now and have seen the demand for our service grow rapidly. Having just opened in Birmingham as part of our UK expansion plans, we have had plenty of commercial enquiries already.
“Where we stand out is that we offer a personalised service that is a lot cheaper than hiring a skip and you can be sure that materials are reused and recycled if possible.”
By sorting through rubble, metal and wood and selling on unused materials, builders could make a positive difference to the environment while benefiting financially from the process.
JunkHunters provides a reputable construction waste disposal service that works to remove all building materials from construction sites as quickly and ethically as possible.
The clearance teams adhere to strict green business credentials which guarantee the recycling of materials.
Since 2008, the company has seen the number of their customers in the construction industry grow and serves existing clientele including Renlon Limited, Michael Brady Ltd, Refurb It All and PMP Construction Ltd.
“In a sector like the building industry, where it is possible to recycle the bulk of materials, then there really should be no excuse.” Yep, we have seen the results of this. Generally our waste management company is called out to rectify these problems after they have become a huge problem for a long time. We are a waste removal and skip hire business and environmental concerns are a priority to us. I hope you find a good company to manage this important job. Keep up the good work.