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News Release from: Higgins Construction | Subject: Refurbishment Waste Minimised
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 23 September 2003
Refurbishment Waste Minimised
Higgins Construction PLC is the first building company to monitor waste created by refurbishing homes in estate regeneration with the Building Research Establishment.
Higgins Construction PLC is the first building company to monitor waste created by refurbishing homes in estate regeneration with the Building Research Establishment They are beginning the initiave on the Priory Green estate, where Higgins is refurbishing high-rise housing and maisonettes within a £12 million contract for client, the Peabody Trust
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 21 Oct 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Higgins Moves In For New £12m Contract
Higgins Construction PLC has won a £12 million contract to refurbish 650 flats on the Pembury Estate in the London area of Hackney for client, Peabody Trust.
"With billions of new public money being invested by the Government in developing Britain's communities, it has to be worth investigating how much of that is spent on materials destined for the waste skip - no debate," said Higgins director Bryan Sabin.
"If only a small fraction of those billions was destined for the waste skip, it could calculate as representing millions of tax payers' pounds.
You bet we are proud to be the first involved in reducing the waste bill for estate regeneration!" In fact, the contents of every skip such as this in view will be inspected and segregated for recycling by the Leyton-based waste disposal company, GBN Services Ltd.
Further reading
Thanks A Million!
Regeneration specialists, Higgins Construction PLC has bagged a £1 million contract to create seven new retail outlets from a disused underground car park for client Stonebridge Housing Action Trust.
Big New Regeneration Contracts
Big new regeneration contracts and a big new energy-efficient HQ roll off the drawing board for Higgins.
This immediately means less fuel used and expenditure transporting the waste to use as landfill.
It also means for example, that waste timber can be reprocessed at GBN's plant in Church Road to sell on as wood chips for all sorts of new use.
For starters, think wood chips and think the chipboard all those nice new kitchen units and doors are manufactured from for sprucing up the home.
Residents remain in-situ while Higgins carries out interior work to 288 flats as well as upgrading exterior cladding and insulation, working to specifications by the client's in-house Peabody Design Group team.
The work also involves landscaping to create more scenic and play area space for the residents.
Masters student Apeksha Desai is involved as part of her studies in architecture and construction at the University of Greenwich.
She is using a computer software package called SMARTStart to evaluate all the data learned from the waste skips, as a benchmarking tool to compare with other firms and other industries.
"You don't need a computer to reveal that waste is unavoidable in every industry, but if we can begin to understand more about how we can reduce those waste levels in the regeneration sector of construction, that's great," said Bryan Sabin.
"We hope this inspires other construction companies to do the same." The Priory Green estate is just one of 31 regeneration projects that Higgins is currently working on in and around London.
Higgins is also reviewing the environmental impact of all its day-to-day business through the ISO14001 environmental management initiative.
For more about using SMARTStart to keep a check on your company's waste, call the Building Research Establishment on 01923 664000 or key www.SMARTWaste.co.uk on the internet.
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