Designing Out Waste

Document type: Good Practice Document
Author: Mike de Silva BSc PhD FCIWEM MIEEM CSci C.WEM
Publication Date: 26/02/2016

  • Abstract

    Crossrail follows the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) supported Designing Out Waste process, identifying opportunities in a collaborative work shop including client, designer & contractor.  Once opportunities are identified they are placed on an opportunities matrix.  This allows for higher impact and more easily adoptable opportunities to be prioritised.

    The Designing Out Waste learning legacy resources contain:

    1. WRAP Designing Out Waste Actions Summary identified for one of Crossrail’s underground stations
    2. Designing Out Waste Opportunities Appraisal– Excel spreadsheet developed to categorise opportunities in accordance with the Opportunities matrix
    3. An example opportunities matrix as shown below:

    Designing Out Waste Matrix

    A similar approach can be adopted to other projects to bring rigour and consistency to the process of identifying opportunities for designing out waste.

     “We held a Designing Out Waste workshop, using these resources, with key members of the Custom House design team to identify opportunities where we could reduce waste. It was early on in the process so there was still plenty of opportunity to influence the station design to ensure that waste was minimised. The off-site fabrication for the station canopy reduced the off-cuts of material onsite. We also identified materials with a high recycled content and allowed for modular build to facilitate flexibility in maintenance”.  Laura Russell (Sustainability Manager HS2, formally Atkins)

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  • Authors
    Photo of Mike DaSilva

    Mike de Silva BSc PhD FCIWEM MIEEM CSci C.WEM - Bechtel

    Sustainability Manager

    Mike has over 25 years of environmental and sustainability design and construction experience much of which has been gained in the rail industry. He has worked on the two largest rail link projects in the United Kingdom, Crossrail and High Speed 1. Mike worked as Sustainability Manager on the Crossrail between 2009 and 2017 and was responsible for delivering its sustainability strategy and reporting as well as leading on CEEQUAL and BREEAM project management, and had an assurance role on the management & measurement of the project’s carbon footprint. He is currently working on HS2 Phase 2b.

    He is well known in the industry and has published a number of works including the well reviewed Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors publication “Sustainability & the Property Lifecycle”. He has also sat on a number of working groups including CEEQUAL International, BREEAM Infrastructure and BES6001 a voluntary standard on responsible sourcing of construction materials & products, and is currently on the editorial panel for the ICE Journal, Engineering Sustainability.