12 THE CLIMATE CHALLENGE
Waging war on plastic waste
Plastic waste is ubiquitous in construction, and the consequences are becoming increasingly apparent. Dr Wendy Jones of Changing Streams spoke to Jack Wooler about what is being done to address this key industry challenge
15 years, and this is expected to triple by 2050.
The most common sources of plastic waste in construction include packaging (accounting for 25 per cent of packaging waste in construction), unused materials from over-ordering and off-cuts, improper storage and handling, over-specified project design, and workforce food packaging and utensils.
lastic is everywhere in construction, with a reported 23 per cent of the plastic produced in the UK consumed by the industry alone. This also makes the construction industry the second largest producer of plastic waste in the UK after packaging, generating an eye-watering 50,000 tonnes of plastic packaging waste each year. Only a small proportion of this is currently recycled. Increasingly, however, climate- conscious individuals and firms within the industry and beyond are decrying the harmful effects this legacy is having on the environment.
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Despite the many benefits plastic brings, according to Dr Wendy Jones, science engagement lead at non-profit waste campaigning group Changing Streams, the inherent dangers are just not worth the savings.
PLASTIC PREDOMINANCE “There is no denying that plastic has its advantages,” admits Dr Jones, noting its versatility, light weight, durability and its cheapness to produce.
In terms of the environment however, she says, “that all comes at a big cost.”
Plastic materials are largely produced from fossil fuels, and over the last 70 years human ingenuity has developed countless ranges of products, with production growing exponentially. In fact, according to Dr Jones, half of the total world production of plastic (derived from fossil fuel) has occurred in the last
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According to Jones, one of the main problems here is that strategies for disposal have not kept up with the rate of production, and, although some is recycled or converted to fuel sources, “the stark reality,” she says, is that less than 10 per cent of plastic worldwide is currently recycled – the majority ending up either in landfill or the world’s oceans.
THE IMPACT OF DEPENDENCE It is estimated that approximately 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the oceans every year, bringing ‘immediate implications’ for wildlife, and potential dangers to humans.
“The effects have received increasing attention in programmes such as Blue Planet, where turtles have been seen entangled in plastic, birds getting caught in plastic nets, or large sea mammals having huge amounts of plastic in their stomachs,” Jones explains.
She tells me that larger land animals are also impacted, as high concentrations of plastic can inhibit the growth and reproduction of the small organisms that provide food for larger creatures both on land and in the ocean, as they are unable to distinguish between food and plastic particles.
These particles are also a danger to humans, she says, getting into rainwater and being found in fruit and vegetables as a result. ‘Microplastic’ particles are even being found in the air we breathe, says Jones.
“The long-term health implications of these findings are not yet fully understood,” she tells me, “but it is known that there’s a higher incidence of lung disease among those who work in plastic manufacturing, and there’s
growing evidence of disruption of the body’s endocrine system from plastics.“ “We also know that some of the chemicals used in plastics manufacture to confer the specific valuable properties of plastics, such as flexibility, are highly toxic.”
These chemicals are released into the environment when plastic degrades, as well as during situations such as wildfires or building fires. They cause atmospheric pollution and risks to firefighters and those living nearby, beyond the devasta- tion of the fire itself.
Alongside all this, the environmental damage to marine ecosystems as a result of plastic pollution is estimated to equate to £10.5bn per year. Related economic costs include those linked to clean-up operations, litter removal, the repair and replacement of damaged vessels and gear, reduced fishing catches, and a decline in coastal tourism and impact on related industries.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
It’s not all doom and gloom, however – there are some practical actions that can be taken by housebuilders and developers to begin to change the default approaches to using plastic.
Jones explains her organisation’s mission: “We want housebuilders and developers to recognise the issues, and take steps to reduce their dependence on plastic.”
She says there are many paths available
to achieve this, including the reduction of single use plastics, reduction of plastic packaging, minimisation of wasteful use of plastic materials, and evaluation of sustainable alternatives.
Jones tells me that some initial practical options that companies can explore
PLASTIC PACKAGING ACCOUNTS FOR 25 PER CENT OF PACKAGING WASTE IN CONSTRUCTION
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