1. At this project, the various waste flows are separated as far as possible into different bins or containers.
2. Everyone working on the project knows which waste belongs in which waste bin or waste container.

Questions about waste separation are listed below, which the participants need to answer as accurately as possible.
Answer A = helmet on
Answer B = helmet off
(the answers are listed at the end of this Toolbox)
If there is no clear winner after 9 questions, there are another 2 open questions. The person closest to the correct answer wins.

1. Small Chemical waste needs to be collected separately. This includes paint tins, PUR tubes, etc.
   1. True
   2. False
2. What is the cheapest waste flow?
   1. Wood
   2. Metal
3. Masonry and cement waste may be placed in the following container
   1. Construction and demolition waste
   2. Debris
4. Pruned wood can also be placed with wood waste
   1. True
   2. False
5. What is the most expensive waste flow?
   1. Construction and demolition waste
   2. Residual waste
6. Wooden window/door frames can be placed with wood waste
   1. True
   2. False
7. Our waste processors draw up a waste management plan for us
   1. True
   2. False
8. Heijmans is the first construction company to set requirements for suppliers regarding packaging materials
   1. True
   2. False
9. How many tonnes of waste did Heijmans have removed in 2021?
   1. About 25,000 tonnes
   2. About 2,500 tonnes
      
      

1. OPEN QUESTION 2: What is the percentage of packaging material from Heijmans that was recycled in 2020?

Waste separation is important to ensure that the materials can be recycled more effectively. This is a good example of the Circular construction industry; Waste is the new raw material. Instead of dumping or incinerating, the aim is to give these materials a new lease on life. This is much easier when the various materials have been properly separated and the easiest way to achieve this is to separate them at the source; in other words, when they are being thrown out. Steel window/door frames, ceiling plates and glass panes, for instance, can be re-used immediately. These materials have been used, for example, in the Hive (office in Rosmalen).  

You may notice this during construction, where we glue and fill materials less often (so that they are easier to remove). We also use prefab elements more often and industrialisation and work preparation are designed in such a way that we purchase exactly the right amount of material for construction, preventing new materials from going directly to waste (for example, cutting waste). ​​​​​​​

• Extra costs for the removal and processing of waste, a construction and demolition waste container is much more expensive to remove than a wood container.
• Waste that has not been separated cannot be recycled and ends up in landfill or is incinerated when this could have been avoided.
• The waste processing company has to expend extra energy on separating the waste after collection.
• The waste processor will reject the waste container or charge additional costs for separation after collection.

To ensure proper waste separation at the construction site, it is important that you have proper arrangements in place with the waste processing companies before the work commences. The preferred suppliers at Heijmans are PREZERO and Renewi. The framework contract with these parties states that they offer us construction site advice, at no extra cost. Construction site advice means that a construction site advisor from PREZERO or Renewi will work with the Foreman to create a waste management plan for the project. This plan includes:

• An estimate of the quantities of waste flows that will be produced.
  >> This can be based partially on the data from the calculation.
• Which waste flows will be collected and removed separately.
  >> The goal is the maximum achievable waste separation.
• How many waste bins and/or containers can be installed.
  >> This takes into account the size of the project and the available space at the construction site for the installation of waste bins and containers.
• How often the waste bins and containers will need to be emptied.
  >> An optimum loading factor and limited number of transport movements are the goal here.
• An estimate of the costs involved in the collection, removal and processing of the waste materials.
  >> Annual rates are charged for many waste flows. These can be obtained from Purchasing.
• Additional specific agreements about separation of waste flows.
  >> Following a request, the waste processing company can produce project-specific reports, so that you can monitor the waste separation percentage while the project is ongoing.

While the project is ongoing.
It is important that all construction site employees place the correct waste in the correct bin/container. If, for instance, the wood container is found to contain plastic waste, the waste processing company can reject the container on arrival, or charge a higher rate to accept the container. Therefore, it is important to help each other to ensure that waste is separated properly.

Apart from the fact that waste separation is better for the environment and that you are helping to fulfil Heijmans’ sustainability ambitions, waste separation can also be lucrative for your project. Since 2019, the government has significantly increased the waste disposal levies for the dumping and incineration of waste (sometimes by as much as 20%!). This was done to encourage the recycling of waste products and materials. The government aims to work towards a ‘Circular Economy’ in the coming years and the re-use of waste contributes to this objective.

In practice, this means that the waste processing company charges the highest rate for unseparated fractions such as ‘Construction and Demolition Waste’ and ‘residual waste’. However, collecting and disposing of plastics, wood, glass, green waste, debris, etc. separately allows you to achieve significant savings on these costs. This is due to the fact that you often pay a significantly lower rate for the removal of these separated waste flows. By separating waste, you can ensure that your project achieves an even better financial result.

1. Obtain ‘construction site advice’ from PREZERO or Renewi, to draw up a waste management plan for your construction site.
2. Aim to achieve no or limited fractions of Construction and Demolition Waste and Residual Waste, by separating the various fractions as far as possible into separate waste bins or containers.
3. Instruct all employees on the project about the agreements regarding waste separation. Ensure that everyone is clear about which waste material needs to be placed in which bin or container. Call each other to account if you notice that the process is not running smoothly.

Contact details for waste processing companies:
PREZERO:
klantenservicezuid.nl@prezero.com or call 088 - 102 44 44
Renewi:
heijmans@renewi.eu or call 040 - 751 43 46

Quiz Answers
Answers: 1:A, 2:B, 3:B, 4:B, 5:B, 6:A, 7:A, 8:A, 9:A, 10:70%