Mar 30 2007
WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) has launched a new online tool, which will support the construction industry to increase recycled content in building work and meet minimum requirements.
Available now, the new searchable Recycled Product Guide documents more than 150 products across 35 common product categories which are available with higher levels of recycled content for use in construction, regeneration and refurbishment projects.
This new tool presents up-to-date product descriptions and supplier details. As well as listing product suppliers, each entry includes details on the product’s percentage of recycled content, its life expectancy and additional information such as the recycled materials used.
A downloadable version, Choosing Construction Products, is also available and has proved extremely popular with contractors and clients alike. The guide is on average downloaded more than 800 times every month.
“New products are constantly coming on the market, so the guide is constantly evolving,” comments Dr David Moon, WRAP Programme Manager for Construction Procurement. “We are committed to updating the database on a regular basis to provide an effective choice of options.
“An increasing number of construction clients and planning authorities are setting minimum requirements for recycled content as a project-level outcome. As a result, there is a greater demand for comprehensive information on the range of high quality products on the market that contain above-average levels of recovered material – the majority of which are available from mainstream suppliers. This recycled product guide offers a good starting point, and is invaluable for identifying some possible product substitutions in the key areas where significant gains can be made to meet and exceed a target. Contractors and specialist subcontractors are using it to initiate dialogue with their supply chains.”
As well as developing the guide, WRAP has produced procurement guidance and case studies to help both clients and contractors increase their sustainability in building projects. In addition, WRAP’s free, on-line Recycled Content Toolkit enables users to identify the top ten or so major opportunities for increasing the overall use of recycled content within their particular building. The Recycled Product Guide is then a complementary tool for identifying some specific product options in these areas.