NFDC chief voices rogue material concerns

National Federation of Demolition Contractors CEO Howard Button has told a regional meeting of the Institute of Demolition Engineers that ‘rogue materials’ in construction projects are affecting the industry's recycling figures.

The demolition industry recycled 96% of materials in 2014, but this figure looks likely to fall in 2015, something Howard views as inevitable given the materials that contractors have to work with,

“The figures are showing a downward trend,” he said.

“It’s not really a great surprise with the amount of rogue materials that are being used in construction but are unrecyclable.”

Examples include polystytrene insulated blocks and foam backed plasterboard.

“We need to start to make people aware of this now,” he added.

“The Construction Products Association (CPA) should be aware of the problems we have.

“Landfill is getting less and less but we are dealing with more and more materials that will need to go to landfill.”

Howard said there will be further discussions on the subject at a CPA Circular Economy Workshop later this month, and at a meeting with Defra on the definition of waste.