Designing out waste is a concept of minimising the life cycle waste of a building by considering design options for reducing waste in each stage: construction, refurbishment, and demolition or deconstruction.
According to studies, up to 33 % of waste generated during construction could be avoided by careful consideration of waste prevention measures in the design stage. The design team should consider possibilities to recover and reuse materials onsite, materials selection and dimensions of components, and construction methods as well as how they affect different waste streams created. Decisions about waste strategies and waste management plans should be made early on. Client involvement in setting the environmental performance objectives in the early design stage can encourage better results in the entire construction project.
Examples of opportunities for waste prevention include:
Communication between contractors, developers, and subcontractors is important throughout the process from pre-design to detailed design. The greatest opportunities for waste minimisation are in the pre-design stage.
Benefits
Designing out waste can be beneficial for the entire construction project simply by setting the scene and drawing attention to the question of waste minimisation.
Direct effects on waste reduction depend on the design option chosen, but with modern methods of construction, on-site waste can be reduced by 90 %.
Cost savings from designing out waste result from waste disposal cost savings and from materials used, but also from more efficient construction work and time and resources allocation.
European Commission/Joint Research Centre (2012), Reference Document on Best Enviromental Management Practice in the building and construction sector, final report, http://susproc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/activities/emas/documents/ConstructionSector.pdf