5 Ways to Tell if Your Worksite Needs Waste Disposal

Whether you’re building condominiums, paving roads, or remodeling an existing home, the accumulation of waste is part of all construction projects. To keep construction projects from getting messy, renting a dumpster or bin to manage bulk waste disposal is an essential component to keeping a worksite clean and safe.

The benefit of renting a dumpster or bin for your construction worksite is that it is a designated spot for easy storage of waste. Thus, when you cooperate with an experienced bulk waste disposal contractor, you are helping out the environment while saving money on disposal fees.

To ensure your construction project runs smoothly, we will first define what construction waste is, and then discuss 5 ways on how to tell if your worksite needs bulk waste disposal.

What is construction waste?

Construction waste (also known as demolition waste) consists of all the debris, textiles, and leftover materials produced by construction and demolition projects. Construction sites that work on different projects usually come across a variety of materials ranging from concrete, lumber, glass, pipe insulation, brick, drywall, textiles, and topsoil.

1. Create a construction waste disposal plan

Part of determining if your worksite will require a waste disposal bin is to create a waste disposal plan. You should approach this plan with efficiency in mind, but include environmental and worker safety. Be sure that your plan lines up with all local and regional guidelines, and follows your industry regulations.

Here are the important factors that a waste disposal plan should consider:

• What specific materials will be used during the project and will be classified as waste?
• What different kinds of waste will be eliminated during each phase of the project?
• How will waste be managed and stored on the worksite?
• How will waste be removed and disposed of properly?
• Outline who is in charge of waste management and their responsibilities when disposing of waste.

Keep in mind that you should complete your construction waste disposal plan well ahead of time before the materials arrive on your worksite.

2. Complete routine waste audits

For the duration of the project, especially for long-term contracts, ensure you conduct routine waste audits on weekly or bi-weekly intervals. Here are a few essential points that a waste disposal plan should cover:

• The bulk waste disposal contractor’s contact information.
• Specific or estimated dates when waste removal will occur on the worksite.
• Designated locations where all waste and recycling will be disposed of.

Conducting regular waste audits will guide you on how much waste disposal you need during the project, and also reveal if your subcontractors and construction team are abiding by the waste management protocols.

3. Conduct source separation on the worksite

Allocating your construction team the additional time to conduct source separation on the worksite creates cost savings in the long run. Here is a list of items that should be separated by the type of material:

• Aggregate
• Asphaltic roofing
• Cardboard and paper
• Carpet
• Concrete
• Doors and windows
• Glass
• Gravel
• Lighting fixtures
• Metals
• Plant and lawn debris
• Plastic
• Plumbing fixtures
• Rubble
• Stones and rock
• Wood

We recommend performing source separation throughout construction projects, as it leads to a more efficient project process and, ultimately, is environmentally friendly.

4. Outline waste disposal items for subcontractors

Your construction team should have your waste management policies in place, while your subcontractors should have their agreements that assign their responsibilities (separate from your protocol). Depending on the contract, the following items should be outlined with your subcontractors’ waste produced on the worksite:

• A waste management manager is assigned to dispose of waste materials at on-site facilities.
• Include percentages of materials that were recycled and disposed of in landfills.
• At the end of the project, subcontractors should tally their final results of the materials disposed of in their waste management audit.

It’s important to keep communication open to ensure your subcontractors follow their assigned protocols in order to solidify worker safety and abide by environmental regulations.

5. Practice waste-reduction procedures

Once your waste disposal plan is in place, each member of your construction team should practice waste-reduction procedures. The following waste-reduction procedures should be executed on a worksite:

• If possible, include recycling and reusing of materials in later phases of projects.
• Use specific demolition strategies when needed during demolition projects.
• Incorporate off-site construction services to reduce material handling and future handling of waste.

When your construction team practices waste-reduction strategies throughout the project, it creates an efficient flow of waste generated and keeps them aware of waste material management long before the project ends.

Hire a Waste Bin Rental Contractor to Assist in Worksite Disposal

At Scarborough Disposal, we provide assistance for clearing out debris and waste materials removed at your worksite. We don’t lift or assist with loading the bin, so all you need to do is load the waste bin with your materials on your worksite. Here is a summary of the top 5 reasons to see if your worksite needs bulk waste disposal:

• Create a construction waste disposal plan. Before starting the project, your construction waste disposal plan should include local and regional guidelines and adhere to industry regulations.
• Complete routine waste audits. Conducting waste audits on weekly or bi-weekly intervals will predict how much waste disposal services you require throughout the project.
• Conduct source separation on the worksite. All demolition and construction teams should practice source separation methods on a regular basis, as it creates an efficient process for the project.
• Outline waste disposal items for subcontractors. Keep the lines of communication open between your construction team and subcontractors to assign their specific protocols to follow during the project.
• Practice waste-reduction procedures. During the project, each member of your construction team should practice waste-reduction procedures to ensure worker safety and fulfill environmental regulations.

If you would like to request a free estimate on bulk waste disposal in Toronto, call Scarborough Disposal at (416) 265-7979 or contact us here.