SA Affordable Housing January - February 2020 // ISSUE: 80 | Page 30
ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY
Environmental Cash
By Dr Doug Potter
When you drive by a construction
site for a building or home that’s
being renovated, it is very common
to see a dumpster/skip parked
outside loaded down with bricks,
lumber and various other waste
products.
A
200m 2 house generates 3 600kg of waste materials
and the same size house demolished generates 42t of
waste. One third of all landfills worldwide are
construction waste.
There are even construction waste removal companies
that haul away construction waste like Rommel Trommel or
Waste Buddies. When I used to see these trucks and
containers full, I quickly thought of all the jobsites and how
much that compounds to every year.
With the newer push to rid our planet of all the excess
trash there are many exciting opportunities going on in the
world to turn that trash into cash. Locally there is a company
called Africa Biomass that specialises in waste wood
recycling.www.abc.co.za. They turn the unwanted cuts of
wood into biofuel and chip mulch.
Many companies re-mill the older wood planks from Barns
and the wood that has been re-planed can fetch a pretty
price tag. Two of the most wanted woods are fir and cedar.
Lintel and large support beams are also in high demand.
Here are just a few of the ways international companies
are turning their burden of removing construction waste and
turning an extra profit instead:
• Broken bricks and left-over cement can be sold for
backfill and wall support. The rock can also be crushed
further for road repair.
• Cut wooden boards can be sold for particle board or
chipboard.
Myers recycling centre in the United States has opened one
of the first construction waste recycling centres to divert
construction waste from the landfill and processes 100t
daily. Approximately 85% of the material that is dropped off
is reused.
In the future we will have to invent new ways to reuse our
materials because what is left in the landfill may start off as
safe, but this quickly changes. Lead from batteries leaks into
the water supply making drinking water toxic. Sheetrock or
ceiling material when broken down releases hydrogen
sulphide – a poisonous gas. We will have to practise what we
preach at home and at work. We can’t say ‘reduce, reuse,
recycle’ at work and then we go home throw everything in
the same waste bin. Worldwide companies that prove they
are environmentally friendly are given governmental
contracts over other companies with a worse track record.
So, the next time you look at a full dumpster will you see
trash or cash?
For more information on the cable project, email Dr Doug
Potter at [email protected]
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr Douglas Potter is a director of company
Predictive Safety South Africa. He was voted
among the top 10 doctors in fatigue in 2012 and
headed the team that built Africa’s first Fatigue
Centre. The team has won seven international
awards on fatigue — two of these awards are
Gold Quills.
One third of all landfills worldwide are construction waste.
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JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2020
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