Manchester City Council becomes the first English council to sign up to the Halving Waste to Landfill voluntary agreement

(08/04/2009)

Since its launch in October 2008, over 80 organisations have signed up to WRAP’s voluntary agreement. Manchester City Council has become the first English council to sign up to WRAP’s (Waste & Resources Action Programme) Halving Waste to Landfill voluntary agreement.

Manchester City Council has committed to making sustainability and the environment a key priority moving forward. By making this commitment Manchester joins leading clients, contractors and retailers such as Network Rail, Laing O’Rourke, Balfour Beatty, Asda and Marks & Spencer.

Reducing construction waste has become a key objective for the industry as it seeks to cut the costs of waste disposal and save on the value of wasted materials. As well as these financial gains, there are environmental benefits due to restricted landfill capacity and reduced demand for primary resources.

John Frubin, Programme Design and Sustainability Manager for Manchester City Council said “We are absolutely delighted to be the first English council to sign up to WRAP's voluntary agreement. We are keen to make the Council as green and sustainable as possible in all aspects of our work and signing up to WRAP’s Construction Commitment: Halving Waste to Landfill is a demonstration of our drive to achieving the target of halving the amount of waste we send to landfill by 2012.”

Mike Watson, WRAP’s Head of Construction commented “We are pleased that Manchester City Council has become the first English council to sign up to the Halving Waste to Landfill voluntary agreement. Organisations signing to the Halving Waste to Landfill voluntary agreement are demonstrating that they take the issue of waste seriously and recognise that it is critical to reduce the 25 million tonnes of construction waste which is dumped in landfill every year. Signatories to WRAP’s agreement will benefit not only from cost savings and greater resource efficiency, but also play their part in combating climate change”.

Related categories:  Aggregate and concrete recycling   Biodegradable waste   Metal recycling   Wood and timber recycling