One of the best things you can do on your construction project, to benefit your company and the industry, is reduce your onsite waste. Many materials easily become waste; you can avoid this using several methods. Learn how to reduce construction waste by reading below.
Reduce Amount of Mistakes
Try to reduce the number of mistakes onsite. The more materials are used wrongly or cut incorrectly, the more product is wasted. If this happens to often, the costs will add up. This is heavily dependent on your workers. Make sure everyone has been properly trained to further ensure they make as little mistakes and accidents as possible to save on material.
Order the Right Amount of Materials
While you want to avoid wasting as much material as possible, you also want to order the right amount. Be careful not to order too much or too little. When you’re laying out the plan for the project, consult your most experienced professionals to make sure you have the right quantities for lumber, concrete, or other materials you’ll be using. If you have too much left over by the end of the project, it’s likely going to become waste.
Get Your Materials in the Correct Size
It’s important to have dimensions all worked out so you can avoid ordering material for larger dimensions than what’ll actually get used. For instance, you might need drywall that’s going to be 10 feet high, but order a 12-foot size. The extra amount is going get wasted because of this. Have your dimensions figured out ahead of time so you can avoid extra amounts becoming waste.
Store All Materials Safely
When wondering how to reduce construction waste, this is a vital tip. Your materials are an investment. If you store materials in the wrong environments, they can get ruined and be rendered useless. More has to be thrown out, and then you’ll have to send more money to replace it. Store materials like lumber on level blocking and keep it covered. Keep all masonry such as bricks well-stacked. Everything should be locked up in a secure location, as many materials and tools on construction sites are targets of theft.
Recycle and Reuse
Recycle and reuse anything that doesn’t need to be thrown in the trash. You can start by saving drywall scraps to be used as filler pieces, or old masonry rubble along foundation walls as backfill. It’s important for employees to be able to identify types of construction waste materials to decide what can be reused or recycled, and what needs to be disposed of separately. Any way you can reuse materials prevent them from becoming waste paves the way for a more sustainable industry.
