Zero Waste Scotland has announced plans to improve the efficiency of new building developments.
The WRAP-backed organisation has invited applications from architects, builders and developers to partner for an exemplar housing project. The proposed development aims to demonstrate how resource efficiency measures can be included within design and construction, and how this can contribute towards a resource efficient lifestyle for people living in the building.
Set on a site of the former Ravenscraig Steelworks in Lanarkshire, the project is part of the Building Research Establishment’s (BRE) Innovation Park, which aims to showcase the future of Scottish housing.
Commenting on the development, Iain Gulland, Director of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Embedding resource efficiency in the design and construction of Scottish homes allows far-reaching benefits to be achieved.
“Building an average three-bed unit can produce between five to 13 tonnes of construction waste, which costs between £250 and £500 per unit. Much of this is excess materials which could be avoided through better procurement and site processes or reused elsewhere.
“The design of our homes affects our every-day life, and living in homes built with resource efficiency in mind can make it easier for us all to live a greener lifestyle. For example, recycling more can be made easier if our homes have more storage space, and well-insulated properties can save homeowners money on energy bills.
“Our project will work with a developer to bring a design for a family home based on resource efficiency principles to market. This could fundamentally change the future of the Scottish house-building industry. And by constructing this exemplar using best practice techniques in procurement and waste management, the developer will set a market-leading standard which could be replicated to reduce waste in the construction industry in the long-term and potentially influence the next generation of building standard regulations.”
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