iT Showcase Magazine is a publication which discusses the role of IT in the construction industry. This is the third year they will be running their annual awards at Interbuild, where they host an entire section dedicated to the subject.

We have been contacted by the magazine and informed that BuilderScrap has been selected to win the new Eco-IT Product award, and will be presented with the award on Wednesday 29th October at the Interbuild exhibition.

This is fantastic news and we are all really excited and pleased. Let’s hope it’s the first of many!

Here at BuilderScrap we are all about lowering the environmental impact of the construction industry, but in a way that doesn’t cost money and can in fact help you lower costs and increase profit. The following is a list of ten green practices that can also help to boost your profit. Click here to view the original article.

1. Design – utilise standard material sizes where possible and try to forecast your waste output so as to plan better for its disposal
2. Site waste – talk to suppliers, they may buy back left-over materials or replace any damaged items. Alternatively, use BuilderScrap to get rid of surplus. Consider if any of your stock is wasted due to weather – do you need to look into changing your storage system?
3. Purchase smart – where possible choose recycled products and look for materials with as little packaging as possible (or recyclable packaging)
4. Reuse/ recycle waste on site – from drinks cans to materials, encourage a recycling culture on site from day one
5. Security can be a major issue – Why not look into solar powered security cameras to protect your site?
6. Salvage yards – find out about local salvage yards and their rules and requirements to help you sort and prepare waste. Ask about monetary rewards for certain items
7. Filter/ divert your jobsite water run off – the government has regulations regarding this helping to protect public waterways. Find out about this to save you from fines later on
8. Research greener alternatives to your materials - They may not be as expensive as you think
9. Design for deconstruction – bear in mind the end of the building’s life and what could be reused or recycled.
10. Keep a record of everything for future reference - For information on Site Waste Management Plans, see our resource section

I hope you find these tips useful. As the environment is an issue ever growing in its importance, we need to bear this in mind as we look to cut our costs.

We have just been informed that BuilderScrap has been shortlisted for another award! The Interbuild New and Eco Product Awards are presented on Monday 27th October at the exhibition so keep your fingers crossed!

Michael Ankers, CEO of the Construction Products Association described the awards as ‘one of the highlights of the exhibition. They demonstrate the very best of the UK construction products industry’.

We are really excited about this as it shows us the industry is really looking to share our vision of reducing its environmental impact as a whole. If you haven’t yet registered for Interbuild, there is still time.

Come and visit us at stand 05-F146 and wish us luck!

This press release issued by WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) discusses their major new initiative to halve the amount of waste the construction industry sends to landfill by 2012.

Liz Goodwin, Chief Executive of WRAP stressed the opportunity that waste reduction presents in the current economic climate: “Waste by its very definition is a missed opportunity. Indeed, the true cost of waste is over 10 times higher than the cost of disposal, once the value of the wasted materials is taken into account.”

This is exactly the point we at BuilderScrap are trying to convey. We are trying to encourage the industry to view waste as a resource – by utilising this website to reuse surplus materials where possible you can benefit from reduced costs and potential revenue.

Register free now and start saving the environment and your costs.

Interbuild is less than three weeks away and the preparations are getting underway here at BuilderScrap HQ. Our mission to build a 100% recycled exhibition stand is proving to be both exciting and challenging.

We are keeping our eyes peeled for any useful stock on the website, and are hopeful that the finished article will be exactly what we are after.

The idea is to show visitors to our stand just what can be achieved by using BuilderScrap.com, that reused goods don’t necessarily look naff or poor quality and that huge savings can be made with an open mind. We have so far found uses for carpet tiles, plywood, drainpipes and office partitioning!

If you haven’t registered for Interbuild yet, it’s not too late, just go to www.interbuild.com