Mar 8 2007
Demonstrating its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, top ten UK housebuilder Miller Homes has made public its environmental policies for sustainable timber sourcing, site waste management and plasterboard recycling.
Improving working practices in these three key areas is a crucial part of Miller Homes CSR strategy, which was published earlier this year.
The firm's waste management policy has already led to improvements in waste minimisation. Focusing on the three 'r's - Reduce, Re-use and Recycle - the policy's aim is to significantly reduce non-hazardous and inert construction waste disposed to landfill by 2010, with an ultimate longterm goal of zero waste.
Initiatives which have been implemented as a result of the policy include onsite segregation of waste streams for re-use or recycling - a process recognised as best practice by the Code for Sustainable Homes and which has helped to ascertain the volume and types of waste being created.
Miller Homes is also segregating its plasterboard for removal and recycling, details of which have been set out in its formal plasterboard recycling policy.
Plasterboard constitutes a significant percentage of waste generated by developments at the construction stage. Due to the inherent properties of plasterboard which make it unsuitable for landfill, it must be disposed of in a responsible and sustainable manner.
Miller Homes' policy has been developed to ensure that all plasterboard waste is either returned to the manufacturing process or used in alternative recycling schemes. The ultimate objective is to reduce the amount of plasterboard waste being generated by Miller Homes sites, through the development of waste reduction initiatives in conjunction with suppliers and contractors.
The housebuilder's third policy, on sustainable timber sourcing, also involves an environmental commitment from suppliers. All national and regional suppliers must now demonstrate that the timber being purchased by Miller Homes is from a well managed source. Suppliers that are able to provide an independently audited chain of custody will be given preferential consideration.
In addition, the policy seeks to encourage the introduction of timber waste minimisation schemes.
Garry McDonald, Director of Procurement at Miller Homes, said: "We have an obligation to adopt a responsible approach to our working practices, not just throughout the supply chain but at the end of a product's life cycle too.
"These policies have been put in place to formalise processes which we have been implementing or are working towards for some time now. Of course, regulation and best practice guidance is constantly evolving and we will be reviewing our policies on an ongoing basis."