Running more environmentally sustainable projects isn’t something you can achieve alone – it’s a team effort. So, making sure you bring your team and sub-contractors along on the journey with you is crucial to being successful.
Much like any project, you can’t do it all alone – you need the people around you to do their bit, too. Being transparent with your team is the key to ensuring they’re as engaged with the process of reducing waste on site as you are.
The first thing to do is make sure your team, including any subbies, know why you’re tackling your waste. That could be:
• To reduce your environmental impact.
• Save money.
• To meet contractual requirements.
Once everyone understands why you’re making these changes it’s time for the rubber to hit the road and put it all into practice. This means including it in your paperwork, training, signage, tracking your results, and celebrating your wins.
If waste minimisation is going to become part of your project planning and execution it’s important to formalise and document it.
This means including waste reduction instructions or standards in your contracts, induction material, and other communications with staff and subcontractors.
Make it a regular item on informal work meetings around the toolbox and project management meetings.
It’s also best practice to keep a current list of recycling operators in the site office for easy reference. List the specific recycling operators’ details for the project in your Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP) for easy reference.
Just like any skill, reducing waste is something which doesn’t necessarily come naturally. It’s therefore important to include training for your staff and subcontractors on the waste minimisation system you are using during their induction and in team meetings.
This should include things like providing detailed drawings and instructions for staff to minimise mistakes, rework, and temporary works.
It’s also a good idea to develop an information sheet to explain the waste minimisation system or create a waste section in your regular induction information.
You can develop a standard operating procedure as a template, which can be adjusted to meet the requirements of various projects.
Use clear signage around the site to explain the waste minimisation system. Some examples are:
• Using the hazard identification board.
• Staff notice board.
• Signage on bins and at the waste storage area (set maximum sizes to encourage reuse).
• Signs on site entrances.
• Tracking your results.
Put your waste minimisation results up on the site noticeboard and update it regularly so everyone can see how they’re doing. This is an excellent way to normalise waste reduction on the job site as well as remind and motivate your team to do their part.
Create clear communication channels for constructive criticism and feedback so your team know what to do if they have a problem, idea, or other suggestion about waste.
Signage is a great way to make it easier for your team to sort waste and recycling correctly. Simple signs indicating where to put different materials are invaluable on a busy work site.
Reducing the waste your project creates should become a core target for your team. A great way to do this is to acknowledge and celebrate your wins.
Incentives, like morning tea shouts for hitting a project’s waste reduction targets, are a great way to encourage and congratulate staff for a job well done.
Some sites use their scrap metal returns for team shouts. This is a good way to directly connect positive outcomes with making the effort to reduce waste.
Ultimately, your aim should be to make waste minisation part of business as usual going forward, rather than a special, once off activity. Soon enough it will become something your team does without having to give it much thought.
If you need more tips for how to get your team on board with your sustainability journey, The Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) has you covered. They’ve even helpfully sorted it by trade type to make it easier for you!
This content is brought to you by 3R Group, in partnership with Mitre 10 Sustainability on Site and BRANZ. For more information on how to be more sustainable on your building sites, head to www.mitre10.co.nz/trade/sustainability & https://www.branz.co.nz/reducing-building-material-waste
Stay updated with the latest news by subscribing to our newsletter. Don’t miss out on valuable insights and exciting updates—sign up now to stay connected!
