Construction Waste Guide
What is Construction Waste?
Read Time: 4 mins
Construction Waste Guide Contents:
Construction Waste Management: What Happens to Your Waste?
Construction Waste Removal with Clearabee
What is Construction Waste?
Defining what is and isn’t classified as construction waste will help you when booking a rubbish clearance. With even a little bit of knowledge, you can better explain your circumstances to receive a quote tailored to your requirements. This is especially the case with construction waste as it’s one of the most difficult types of waste to deal with.
Looking at a couple of definitions of construction waste from different sources will help our understanding. DEFRA defines construction waste as:
“Construction and demolition waste is a waste stream that is primarily received from construction sites. Some examples of C&D waste include, but are not limited to, concrete, rebar, wood, paneling, linoleum and carpet.”
The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) defines construction waste as:
“Unwanted material arising from the demolition or strip out of an existing structure.”
With that in mind lets look at a few examples of construction waste with a little added detail:
Plasterboard and Gypsum
Gypsum is a mineral that is used frequently in construction to make items such as plasterboard. Gypsum as a raw material is very common and easy to mine and as such has been used in construction for many years.
Wood
A common item used in construction that can often be reclaimed and used again. Door frames, skirting boards and paneling are just a few examples of construction waste that can be made from wood.
Bricks
Bricks are literally a cornerstone of human civilization and have been used since 7000 B.C. Similarly, to wood, the humble brick can be reclaimed and recycled.
Insulation
Like with any construction-related job, the extraction of insulation should only be done under the approval or supervision of a professional. Items like insulation can become dangerous if not handled properly. Once retrieved insulation should be bagged as quickly as possible.
Another method to help define what is construction waste is with a simple list.
A reliable source of information will be waste handlers like ourselves who frequently have to deal with construction waste as well as resources like this .gov page.
This list may not be exhaustive but should cover most examples of construction waste:
Now that you have a good idea of what constitutes as construction waste we can look into what are the best ways to get rid of it.
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