Building product manufacturers meet to discuss sustainability strategy

Leading building product manufacturers have met to discuss ways to develop an industry-wide sustainable procurement strategy.

The Green Procurement Group (GPG) has been established by Jewson to examine ways in which the supply chain can work together to drive down waste and help contractors meet the demands of site waste management plans (SWMPs), which will become a legal requirement next April for all projects over £250,000.

The 12 members of the GPG, which is chaired by Steve Millward, sustainability and quality director at Jewson and chair of the Construction Products Association's (CPA) waste working group, include Lafarge, Hanson, Rockwool and WRAP.

Millward told CJ: "Between manufacturers and contractors there is little in the middle. We need to better harness the supply chain to put all the good work by the manufacturer, merchant and contractor together."

The GPG has committed to reduce the packaging associated with its products by 20% by 2012; it is also looking at making all packaging materials recyclable by the same date.

"Not a single manufacturer in the GPG has too little packaging," continued Millward. "Just like contractors, they overspec to protect their products, but by optimising there is an opportunity.

"With SWMPs due to come in, contractors are focused on waste. The less packaging they get, the easier they will find it to comply."

As part of his chairmanship of the CPA's waste working group, Millward is keen to extend the initiative to its members, though he recognises that "we still have work to do crystallising the target".

He is also working on producing a paper in association with WRAP examining the realities of site waste. They are currently in talks with a contractor, likely to be a large housebuilder, to study how it operates in terms of procurement and waste.

"We want them to be open with their books and be honest with us about the waste they produce and what goes to landfill," Millward explained. "Then we can look at realistic ways of reducing it."