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Project title

Value Green Constructrion Scheme

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Building Contractor Training Network

Lead Applicant

Michael Cox

Project Abstract

Waterford Chamber of Commerce initiated a wasteprevention/minimisation pilot project which wasspecifically targeted at the construction sector which isone of the biggest generators of commercial waste.Three Waterford-based construction companiesparticipated in the Value Green Construction Scheme(VGCS) pilot project. Each of these companies set out toprevent/minimise on-site waste. They also set out to showother construction companies how the implementation ofa igreen policyi could help them to increase their profitsreduce operating costs and enable them to pass on someof the resultant cost savings to their clients.Over a period of nine months in 2002/2003 the VGCSproject team developed a series of systems proceduresand plans aimed at increasing companiesi operatingprofits by reducing on-site waste. The team identifiedthat over-ordering/excess delivery of building materialswas a common occurrence with over-ordering/excessdelivery levels reaching up to 17.85% of the total materialsbill. Typically industry waste costs are estimated atbetween 5% and 10% of a construction companyis overallmaterials bill. The VGCS pilot project participants reducedtheir waste bills by between i60000 and i200000 perannum or 1-2% of turnover. The lessons that they learnedwere incorporated into a step-by-step guide which waspublished in 2004 by Waterford Chamber of Commerceand the Environmental Protection Agency. The projectfindings clearly show that if construction companiesnationwide were to implement the various measuresrecommended in the VGCS Step-by-Step Guide the levelof savings achieved would total i115.65 million a year.

Grant Approved

�35,748.90

Research Hub

Cleaner Production - Green Enterprise - Innovation and Demonstration

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

n/a

Initial Projected Completion Date

n/a