news from the BRE Group
published: 3/1/2006
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Construction products research - saving resources and reducing waste
Project launch at the Building Centre, London on 30th January 2006. A new DTI-funded project called BE AWARE - Built Environment Action on Waste Awareness and Resource Efficiency - aims to help construction product manufacturers to make more efficient use of materials and processes by investigating their products' design, manufacture, installation, use and eventual disposal.
BE AWARE will also look the wastes created at each stage of a product's life cycle in order to find other uses for them.
The 30-month project will be undertaken by an industry consortium (see below) led by the Construction Products Association, and will be managed by BRE. Others involved in developing, manufacturing, using or disposing of construction product are also being invited to take part.
BE AWARE will look in detail at around 40 products to see whether waste can be reduced and resource efficiency improved. BRE believes that the research will show that the project's approach could bring industry savings of up to 25%.
Direct help for organisations engaged in construction product design, manufacture, installation, use and end-of-life, is possible by becoming involved in the BE AWARE project.
The project will create publically available guidance and case studies to illustrate how adopting efficient practices in product design and manufacture can help. There will also be a series of workshops during the project to discuss findings and invite further input.
Those wanting to attend the launch, or receive more information, should contact: Amanda Conroy at BRE, tel: 01923 664471, Email: conroya@bre.co.uk
Notes for editors
Construction product waste
Construction accounts for 150 million tonnes of UK waste, of which 40% is from the manufacturing process. More waste arises further down the supply chain from packaging and end of life waste.
BE AWARE consortium
The BE AWARE project's industry consortium is led by the Construction Products Association, which represent the construction product manufacturing sector. Other participating associations/groups with manufacturing members include plastics (British Plastics Federation), concrete (British Precast Concrete Federation), composites (NetComposites) and wood (Wood Panel Industry Federation, British Woodworking Association).
Modular buildings are represented by the Modular & Portable Building Association. Key clients/advisors include Charnwood Borough Council and National House Builders Council. Biffa Waste Services and the National Federation of Demolition Contractors will provide guidance on the end of life stages.
Partners from the packaging (Packaging and Industrial Film Association), agriculture (Agrifibre Technologies Ltd) and solid timber (UK Forest Products Association) provide opportunities for pan-industrial knowledge transfer. Loughborough University will bring their technical expertise with regards to cross-cutting industry waste mapping. Associated parties include Mini-Waste Faraday and National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP). BRE provides overall project management from its Centre for Resource Efficiency.
BRE
BRE is the UK's leading centre of expertise for construction, the built environment, sustainability, energy, fire and many associated issues. We provide research, consultancy, information and testing services to customers worldwide. http://www.bre.co.uk/
BRE is owned by the BRE Trust, a Registered charity (no. 1092193) with a mission to champion excellence and innovation in the built environment for the benefit of all. http://www.bretrust.org.uk/
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