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Speaking at an informal seminar to promote a voluntary construction initiative aimed at the prevention, minimisation and recycling of construction and demolition waste, Mr O’Keeffe quoted figures from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), stating that only 65% of this type of waste was currently recycled or reused.
He added that, if the industry was to meet the challenging 85% recycling target currently set for 2013, new and innovative recycling measures would be required.
“An industry-wide cultural shift is required by all sectors in the broader construction industry,” he said. “The continued growth in waste arisings across all sectors in our society is no longer sustainable and must be reversed in the longer term to better protect our environment for future generations.”
Promoting self-regulation throughout the construction industry was also cited as being key to recycling progress at the IWWE and IWRM environmental exhibition in Dublin last year (see related story).
“We all need to reduce, reuse and recycle. However, I’m glad to say that real and tangible progress is now beginning to happen,” he added. “The public is buying in to this key message, and significant progress is now being made in raising recycling levels of construction and demolition waste.”
By Jane Kettle
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