Solid refers to waste generated by homes and businesses, such as food, paper, plastics, and textiles, which is usually collected by the municipality and disposed of in a landfill or incinerator. Non-solid waste refers to waste generated by industries from their production processes and pollution control equipment.
Over the past 10 years, 3,00,000 new homes have been built in Qatar so it is not surprising that the construction industry uses 400 million tonnes of natural resources each year. 100 million tonnes of waste is produced, however, it is estimated that 93% of that is recovered and used again. This guide reinforces the strategies used to maintain these high standards of construction waste management.
All businesses owe a duty of care to handle their waste properly. This is enforced by the Environmental agency and failure to do so may result in a hefty fine and can damage your company’s reputation.
Construction waste is any material produced as a result of construction work that is no longer needed or wanted. This waste can come from site clearance, construction, excavation, renovation, refurbishment, demolition, and road works, and can include a wide variety of materials such as surplus materials, recycled materials, non-recyclable materials, and hazardous materials. It is projected that by 2020, the annual volume of construction waste generated worldwide will reach 2.2 billion tons. Effective waste management requires proper identification and classification of waste into different types.
Construction waste can be classified into the following categories:
- Dredged materials – which are evacuated during site preparation and can include tree stumps, dirt, rocks, etc.
- Insulation and Asbestos materials – asbestos containing materials pose a health risk and should be handled carefully.
- Concrete, Bricks, Tiles, and Ceramics – mainly non-hazardous, can be recycled.
- Wood, Glass, and Plastic – non-inert and can be recycled or reused.
- Metallic Waste – non-hazardous but metals containing hazardous substances should be handled carefully.
- Drywall – made of gypsum wallboard, mostly non-hazardous.
- Cement – unused or un-set cement is always hazardous.
- Paints, Varnishes, Adhesives & Sealants – extremely hazardous waste.
90% of construction waste is inert or non-hazardous and can be reclaimed, reused and recycled. The remaining 10% is non-recyclable, non-hazardous and hazardous waste. Hazardous waste materials include contaminated soil, leftover paints, solvent, aerosol cans, asbestos, paint thinners, striping paint, contaminated empty containers, etc.
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