Under waste legislation Construction and Demolition waste is defined as ‘all waste that arises from construction, renovation and demolition activities’. It includes soil and stone, surplus and damaged products and materials arising at construction works or used temporarily during on-site activities together with dredge spoil.
If you are responsible for carrying out a construction and demolition project, you must ensure that you have a waste management plan for all waste generated as a result of this activity and ensure that is segregated so that it can be reused, recycled or disposed of in an appropriate way.
Where construction or demolition wastes cannot be reused or recycled, that waste must be transported to authorised waste facilities using the services of authorised waste collectors.
Guidelines are in place to promote an integrated approach to the management of this waste stream. They are designed to promote sustainable development, environmental protection and the optimum use of resources. The guidelines introduce the concept of integrated waste management planning for construction projects above certain thresholds.
Integrated Material Solutions Ltd is an EPA approved company that operate Ireland’s only landfill site for construction and demolition materials.
Located in the Naul, Co. Dublin, the site has been in operation since the summer and IMS managing director Cian O’Hora is keen to get the word that they are open for business out into the public domain.
“We have been operational since the summer and already our customer base has increased during those intervening months. The landfill is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and we have invested a great deal in order to have the facility meeting all legislation requirements,” said Cian.
“Already, we would have some of the biggest construction firms bringing their C&D waste to us, where it is disposed of accordingly.”
Cian revealed that all waste is brought to them by the customers’ own fleet. “We wouldn’t operate a fleet of trucks, all waste is transported to us and then we take care of it from there. Everything that comes to us is pre-approved and we make sure that it is safe to dispose of properly.”
Located just off exit five on the M50, their location allows their customer easy access to the facility, which is capable of housing eight million tonnes of waste.
“The facility is a disused limestone quarry that has been properly lined to allow it to be operated as a landfill site. We are the only company in the country doing this, so the aim is to increase the customer base considerably over the next few months.”
A half million tonnes of waste is expected to enter the site annually and Cian added that they are still in the fledgling stages of the business.
“We are licensed to accept 500,000 tonnes of inert Construction & Demolition (C&D) and inert dredging spoils per annum. The licence sets out in detail the conditions under which we are required to operate and manage the facility to ensure that activities do not cause environmental pollution.
“We would certainly have big plans for the future. We have obtained a new licence to recover waste and we will be putting that into action in the near future.”
IMS employ five people at the site and Cian stressed that all are highly trained and efficient at what they do, while health and safety is a key area of the business.
“To dispose of the waste in the proper manner, the employees need to know their jobs inside out and to be fair to the guys here, they are very experienced and knowledgable at what they do.
“Health and Safety is something that we take very seriously and the procedures have been put in place that our employees follow in order to reduce or cut out the risk of accidents. It is our aim to achieve a working environment, which is free of work-related accidents and ill health and to this end the company will pursue continuing improvements from year to year.”
Cian added that they are currently in the process of going through the procedure of obtaining the necessary accreditation to carry out their work to the highest standard possible.
“All the audits have been done and the systems are in place. This is something that our predecessors had done already and we are just carrying on their good work.
“Our overall objectives are to enhance the environment at our site by implementing programmes of controlled restoration, and to research, develop and facilitate waste management and recovery options for the construction and related sectors.
IMS is conscious that waste-related activities have the potential to impact on the environment.
“We are fully committed and obliged under our EPA licences to manage and operate our facilities to the highest possible standards thus ensuring that our activities do not cause environmental pollution.”
Contact Details:
Integrated Material Solutions
Sallowood View,
Tooman,
Co. Dublin
Hours: 8a.m.–6p.m.
Phone: (01) 843 3744
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, January 2018, Vol 4 No 1
