Can Construction Companies Complete their Work without Creating Waste – yes
Construction without waste doesn’t seem possible in Toronto’s culture of development and economic activity. Understandably, construction creates waste. When you’re building something, you oftentimes need to remove what’s already there and if the materials aren’t recyclable, waste’s created. Subsequently, as you’re building something, there are certain processes and techniques which create waste. It’s almost unavoidable and limiting waste output is incredibly challenging.
Keeping this in mind, there’s been gradual support for what’s called the ‘circular economy’. Circularity involves consuming products that are reusable or recyclable and maintaining an economy where little to no waste is produced. Thereby, products end up in this circular routine where they are used and then, reused, and then, reused again, and so on and so forth. In construction, there are also many materials that can be removed and reused from homes and commercial buildings. These materials are already a part of the circular economy and are not considered waste.
Can the circular economy apply to construction – we would argue it can be. According to a recent estimate, up to 30 percent of resources used in construction projects are wasted. As we continue to develop new properties here in Toronto, we seem to value the speed of construction above creativity, waste control, and anything else. While we understand why this is the case, we’re advocating for more focus on how waste is treated and whether recyclable materials are being unfairly discarded. Although zero waste may not be wholly achievable today with construction, we believe it can be accomplished in the near future.
There are several ways construction companies can work to reduce waste. The first is addressing a reduction in the volume of waste. Obviously, for most companies, a reduction in volume is not possible. So secondly, we would aim to reuse the waste that’s being created. For this to work, facilities need to be available to accept said waste and markets need to be opened to make it financially viable. This is still in process of happening which puts construction companies in a tough spot. On one hand, they may want to recycle certain materials but with no way to do so, they’re left submitting them as waste materials to local landfills.
Thirdly, perhaps the most effective long-term strategy at reducing waste in construction, is in adopting more advanced, recyclable materials. Technology seems to create new building materials every year. As some of these hopefully come to be mass manufactured, construction companies can see benefit in using them.
The world is moving in the direction of a circular economy. The construction industry produces significant waste and yet, a lot of these materials can be repurposed into a range of different products. As a country, Canada invests so much more money into creating new products and processing waste than it does with recycling and circularity. As the markets open up, we believe there exists immeasurable opportunities for construction companies to jump on board and become leaders among some of the first zero-waste businesses.
If you’re a small business or commercial space seeking waste management in Toronto, junk removal, dumpster rentals, or recycling services, Core Mini Bins can help. We’ve also worked with dozens of construction companies on many Toronto projects. Speak with a representative to find out how we can help and to get connected with the services you need to minimize your waste output.
