Army Basing Programme recycles over 90% of construction waste

The major redevelopment project being delivered by Aspire Defence to provide new single living and working accommodation for soldiers is minimising waste during construction, thanks to an impressive 92% recycling rate of all waste materials.

Under the Army Basing Programme (ABP), around 130 new buildings are being delivered at garrisons across Salisbury Plain Training Area and at Aldershot, alongside numerous extensions, alterations, refurbishments and demolitions.

The construction programme is being delivered by Aspire Defence Capital Works (ADCW) on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), under the 35-year Project Allenby/Connaught (PAC) contract.

David Keebly, Environment Manager for ADCW, explained:

“Sustainability is at the heart of the PAC contract and a key concern for the MOD.  Landfill is the last resort and we segregate waste on garrisons using dedicated skips and containers.  We have targets to recycle or recover more than 90% of all construction waste, so we’re delighted to have exceeded that figure already this year.”

On some garrisons, waste materials are being reused within the construction programme itself. At Larkhill, for example, demolition arisings are crushed and used as sub-base for new roads and car parks.

Where waste generation cannot be prevented, materials from ABP build sites are processed by M J Church, the principal waste management contractor for ADCW, responsible for careful management, segregation and removal of construction waste streams using dedicated skips placed on site.

Wood is chipped for fuel supplies in the UK and Europe; scrap metal is sold on for recovery into new items; green waste is sent for composting and cardboard is used to make recycled packaging.  Demolition waste, plasterboard, UPVC, and polythene are also recycled and recovered.

Mark Duddy, ABP Programme Director, said:

“Our responsibility to the environment within and surrounding the Defence estate is a priority.  In addition to minimising the impact of construction works, a sustainable approach to waste disposal and reuse at all levels of the build and throughout the supply chain is cost-effective.  Waste is being reused within the ABP build programme itself, as well as supporting ‘green’ economies in the UK and beyond. I am delighted that while delivering improvements to soldiers’ living and working environments, Aspire Defence is demonstrating a positive impact for the wider environment too.”

The new and improved infrastructure currently being completed by ADCW will support British forces returning from Germany and relocating within the UK under ABP.  The construction programme is on schedule to enable units based in Germany to return to the UK in 2019, resulting in savings to Defence of up to £240 million per year by 2022/23.