WPS are proud to be industry partners with the University of the West of England for their upcoming waste research project, which is set to revolutionise the construction sector.

The university is embarking on a project entitled DRIM (Deconstruction and Recovery Information Modelling) for two years starting in April 2016. UWE has secured an £800,000 grant which will help them to develop a computer programme that forecasts which materials can be reused or recycled after the demolition of a building. The project could significantly reduce the amount of landfill waste created in the construction sector, and it could even dramatically change the waste management industry, so WPS is very excited to be a part of it.

Professor Lukumon Oyedele, the lead academic partner from University of West of England, Bristol, hopes the project will also have an impact on policy change. Ideally new buildings in the future will submit a deconstruction plan as part of the planning permission requirements, so that waste management is a high priority for the entire life of the building, from conception to demolition.

It is also hoped that the programme will lead to savings on landfill tax, which is currently £80 per tonne, as well as a reduction in landfill gases and carbon emissions. Construction companies could also benefit from a reduction in costs by as much as 10%, as the programme could help them save money when it comes to buying new materials.

The research project falls in line with our core values at WPS, and we are very much looking forward to working alongside UWE as well as Coventry University and Sustainable Direction Ltd in 2016.