There comes a point in our lives when we want to make a significant change in our home. With time the house is bound to endure damage due to poor weather conditions. Time is also responsible for the damage. For example, your roof will develop holes, and water will leak
Do you feel like your interiors could use a makeover? While many of us have a wishlist, not all of us are quite sure how they can translate their ideas into reality. However, there’s no reason to worry. With just a few simple interiors design tricks up your sleeve, you
If you’ve decided that your kitchen is ready for a makeover, there are many aspects you need to take into consideration to get the job done. One of the most important elements that you may not have thought of is the role of plumbing in your new kitchen. While it
Innovative demolition specialist AR Demolition has continued investing in its business with a revitalised earthworks and soil remediation team. The East Midlands firm, which is based at Carlton near Nuneaton, has taken on a new team of earthworks and remediation specialists, to rejuvenate its offering in providing the full suite
Almost three quarters of tradespeople in the UK are happy in their work, despite working long hours and regular weekends, according to a new survey carried out by the country’s largest online supplier of ironmongery, IronmongeryDirect. The poll, completed by over 950 tradespeople, saw 72% of respondents rate themselves as
Euramax Solutions, a leading manufacturer of PVCu windows and doors, has announced that it will extend its product range with the UK’s largest builders’ merchants, Travis Perkins. The new range will see new products and colour options available to the public in Spring 2019. Based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, Euramax Solutions
While home renovations are often the first thing that people start to look at when they feel their home needs an upgrade, before you start to rip out your kitchen or look at pricing up a new bathroom, have a look at your interior coloring. Repainting your house interior can
A new £11 million Future Parks fund, which will be used to secure the future of parks and greenspaces across the UK, has been announced by the National Trust And National Lottery Heritage Fund. Through a package of grants and expert guidance, Future Parks aims to tackle, head on, the
The Buildings Show has for the past 30 years served as the single largest event held in North America. It focuses on professional networking, products, educational programming, and services in fields such as real estate, design, construction, and architecture. This year, the event will be held at the Metro Toronto
When it comes to managing waste, proactive facilities managers can save their organisations a lot of money while also improving performance. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure – and this is as true for facilities management as any other profession. The ability to anticipate and head off
There comes a point in our lives when we want to make a significant change in our home. With time the house is bound to endure damage due to poor weather conditions. Time is also responsible for the damage. For example, your roof will develop holes, and water will leak through them. The fence is going to get broken and will need repairs. The windows are going to break, and you’ll need to replace them. All of these things can happen with time, and you shouldn’t stress over them too much. For every problem, there’s a solution. Another issue that can arise is that the paint from the exterior of the house can start to chip and fade. This will leave the house looking rather shabby and old. If you care about the appearance of your home, then you should repaint it. Of course, you can’t do this on your own because you either don’t know how or you just don’t have the time. This kind of project takes several days to finish. That’s why a good idea is to hire professional painters to do the painting for you. Check out the link to find out more details about the topic https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/realestate/living-in-color.html. Moreover, they will finish everything on time with their meticulous work. So start searching for a licensed business that offers this kind of service and wait for the transformation of your home. Here are several reasons why every homeowner should consider repainting the house: A Fresh Look You are probably tired of the same old painting that has been on the walls forever. It’s time to say goodbye to it and welcome a more warm color instead. The new paint job will leave the home looking like it is brand new. The neighbors will admire it from afar and ask for recommendations from you about the painters that made that happen. The fresh paint will bring happiness to all of your family. You won’t have to look at old paint on the walls ever again. Then the new color will start to fade but not for a long time. Just be patient with the process, and you’ll see in the end that all that waiting will be paid off. The painters are very good at what they do and will aim to please your every desire. You can choose a different and more stylish color for the home and inform them of your decision. They will gladly do what you ask of them because you are the customer after all. Health Reasons Have you heard of mold? It’s very dangerous to have it growing in or outside of the home. One of the main reasons why mold grows is because of moisture. If you haven’t painted the house for a long time, then the chipped paint will have tiny holes in it so that water can come through. This will quickly leave the wooden surface rotten and start the growth of mold. Once it spreads, it affects the air quality inside and outside of the house. It is dangerous to inhale it because it can cause health problems for you and your family. That’s why repainting the walls is the best way to protect yourself from mold and mildew. Fresh paint will protect the walls from moisture, and no mold would be able to grow there. You want what’s best for your family. Keeping the home clean and secure should be your number one priority. Don’t ignore the problem because it only gets bigger with time. If it is time to repaint the home, do it without second-guessing the decision. Property Value Perhaps you and your family have decided to sell your old home and relocate somewhere new. If the house is adequately taken care of and is stable, then the value of it will be immense. But if the walls are chipped and faded, prone to all kinds of insects and natural elements, then don’t expect the value to be high. The best chance of getting the house sold to someone else is if you paint the exterior and interior as well. This will instantly brighten up the place and make it more appealing to potential buyers. Your realtor would suggest the same thing. Making this kind of decision takes time and patience. But it is the best option there is. Don’t worry about spending way too much money on the painters. Once you look at the increased value of your home, you would consider the repainting as an investment. You’ll be able to get a lot of money to buy yourself a new place where you can make memories. Before you make a decision, make sure to contact Foothills Boulder Painters and few others to make the right choice for the house. Surface Protection No one likes to stare at walls with stains. What’s worse, the stains can be permanent, and there’s no way to clean them whatsoever. How long can they stay like that until they drive you crazy? That’s why every homeowner should look for a solution to get rid of them once and for all. Over the years, accidents happen. You kid can spill a drink and splash the walls. Or touch the wall with greasy hands. These types of stains are not so easy to get rid of completely. But, fortunately for you, new paint to revive the walls will do the trick. It will make the house look brighter and cleaner. A new color for the exterior as well as interior will make the house look like it is brand new. Not to mention that it will cover all those nasty stains that you’ve tried so hard to eliminate. All you have to do is find a reliable and licensed business that offers professional painters to take care of that for you. Once they finish the job, your house would look unrecognizable, but in a good way.
Do you feel like your interiors could use a makeover? While many of us have a wishlist, not all of us are quite sure how they can translate their ideas into reality. However, there’s no reason to worry. With just a few simple interiors design tricks up your sleeve, you too can transform your living space and give it a fresh, new look. The best part is – you don’t have to break the bank to make it happen. Take a look at our list of five brilliant ideas you can use to freshen up your home and make it look like new. Boost your home’s curb appeal with effective landscaping The exterior of your home matters just as much as its interior, as it is the first thing everyone will notice when they come for a visit. Although it’s often overlooked, the way that your landscaping is designed greatly affects your home’s curb appeal. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, you can still have a gorgeous garden. Go to your local greenhouse and talk to the experts about the types of plants that would be easy to grow in your area. Garden beds, flowering shrubs, and a couple of trees go a long way in designing a beautifully landscaped front yard. Update your cabinet and drawer handles Many homeowners think that, in order to give their kitchen a new look, they need to spend a fortune on renovating it. The truth is, there is a much cheaper way to freshen up your cooking area that will not set you back thousands of dollars. A simple way to boost the appearance of your dated kitchen is to swap your old handles. Take off those old, dirty and dated handle pulls and knobs and treat your kitchen cabinetry to something more modern. Give your cabinets a new look with bronze, brushed nickel, or shiny stainless finishes. The design choice is up to you. Swap your dated lighting fixtures for something modern Proper lighting goes a long way in transforming the look of your interior. When used strategically, it can elevate your living space and bring your room to life. However, before you buy modern fixtures, be sure to check your home wiring. While hanging fixtures do not call for new wiring, other lighting fixtures may require the wiring to be replaced altogether. Now, almost all electrical work requires a permit, and in some states such as Australia, it’s illegal to do your own electrical work. That’s why many homeowners from Sydney count on a reliable electrician in Western suburbs to tackle the electrical issues and assure a safe installation. Add wallpapers to change the look of your interiors Another way to boost the look of your interiors is to install wallpaper. And no, we don’t mean those tacky floral wallpapers everybody used to have back in the ‘90s. Nowadays, there are all sorts of wallpapers that can make your home look as it was decorated by an interior designer. Easy to apply and remove, these wallpapers are reusable, so you can use them again for another room. Update your walls with amazing patterns and graphics – whether you opt for funky geometric patterns or something more subtle, you’re sure to transform your living space and freshen it up. Spruce up your interiors by bringing the outdoors in An instant decorating tool, plants are an easy and inexpensive way to update your interiors. Natural air purifiers, they’ll absorb toxic pollutants from the air, producing oxygen in turn. Bring in the outdoors with a couple of low-maintenance plants – Aloe Vera, Philodendron, Bromeliad, and Snake Plant are houseplants that are sure to spruce up your home and will forgive you in case you forget to water them for a couple of days (or weeks). Updating your home doesn’t always mean you have to spend a fortune to be able to see some changes. Sometimes, even the smallest of tweaks can help rejuvenate your living space and bring in a breath of fresh air. Use the tips above to infuse your home with new energy and renew your space as well as your overall sense of well-being.
If you’ve decided that your kitchen is ready for a makeover, there are many aspects you need to take into consideration to get the job done. One of the most important elements that you may not have thought of is the role of plumbing in your new kitchen. While it may be exciting to design the layout of your updated space based solely on the vision you have in mind, it’s crucial not to overlook the configuration of plumbing. Read on for some of the plumbing matters you should think about during your kitchen renovation. Make Room for the Sink As you work on remodeling your kitchen, the placement of your sink should be one of the first things you consider. The way you position your new cabinets and drawers can affect how your sink fits into the kitchen and may even prevent it from functioning properly. Along with the depth of the basin, the placement of the plumbing that comes out of the wall below the sink should be taken into account. Planning around these important features by consulting New Canadian Drain and Plumbing can help your renovation go much more smoothly. Focus on Layout The entire layout of your kitchen should be planned in advance with potential plumbing issues in mind. There are numerous features that need to be picked out before a renovation, such as countertops, flooring and appliances. It’s easy to get tricked into focusing solely on the finishes and designs involved in your remodeling project, but disregarding plumbing can cause serious problems down the road. Choose a spot for your dishwasher and refrigerator based on the location of the plumbing, not only on how the placement of these appliances will affect the appearance of the room. Relocate Pipes When you have new fixtures and appliances installed, the pipes will likely have to be re-positioned. Contacting a skilled plumber to relocate your pipes can ensure that the job is done quickly and efficiently. Moreover, failing to have your appliances or pipes installed correctly can cause serious damage to your home. By trusting a professional to take care of the plumbing aspects of your kitchen, you can save a significant amount of time and money. When you focus on the role of plumbing in your kitchen renovation from the start, you can avoid repairs and high costs later on. Making plumbing a priority also allows you to have a kitchen that is consistently in top condition.
Innovative demolition specialist AR Demolition has continued investing in its business with a revitalised earthworks and soil remediation team. The East Midlands firm, which is based at Carlton near Nuneaton, has taken on a new team of earthworks and remediation specialists, to rejuvenate its offering in providing the full suite of demolition-related enabling functions. The team will be led by AR Demolition’s operations director Matt Barrow, who formerly headed up the operational delivery of the remediation arm at Keltbray following a decade in civil engineering and soil stabilisation roles. He is joined by compliance manager Felicity Barnard, an industry-proven remediation professional who brings an MSc in Environmental Science alongside a certificate of technical competence to her new role. AR Demolition are also actively recruiting to support growth in this discipline. Mr Barrow said: “Earthworks and remediation have always been part of AR Demolition’s armoury. Now we have a dedicated team with a specialist skillset so we can relaunch our offering, communicating to current and future clients that we can provide a turnkey solution for fully enabled construction-ready sites. “We will bring AR Demolition’s customer-focused, innovative approach across the board, from inception to planning, asbestos removal, demolition, right through to remediation and earthworks “What this specialist knowledge will provide is bespoke, collaborative, design-led solutions for our clients. “We have a comprehensive understanding of the relevant regulations and we can manage the process – through planning and delivery to sign-off. “As AR Demolition rejuvenates its business and its offering, it’s really exciting to be part of a genuinely innovative company, which wants to place clients first and has designs on revolutionising the image and the work of the demolition industry.” AR Demolition was founded by managing director Richard Dolman in 2007 and, following a period of restructuring and stabilisation in 2017, the company reported a record start to 2018 and is shortly to announce this year’s turnover figures and profits. The latest investment follows significant investment in new plant and machinery, including £1.5m spent on three new cutting-edge high reach Kiesel machines in 2018 after previous investment of £1m in 2016. AR Demolition is also unique among small demolition contractors in having its own aggregates recycling facility, at its AR Aggregates urban quarry in nearby Leicester. Mr Dolman said that he and the leadership team at AR Demolition is keen to develop the company into a new type of demolition contractor, one where quality, safety and innovation – particularly in terms of sustainability and recruitment – were placed at the forefront. He said: “Our revamped remediation service is another example of how we are looking to offer our clients a spectrum of services where quality and innovation stand alongside sustainability and efficiency. “Matt and his team will provide a valuable service that we hope can play an important role, not just in providing our customers with the best possible service but also to help with urban regeneration. “AR Demolition is gradually turning into the company we have all visualised – it’s an exciting time for all of us here and great to see our continued development, setting an example for what a small demolition contractor of the 21st Century can be.”
Almost three quarters of tradespeople in the UK are happy in their work, despite working long hours and regular weekends, according to a new survey carried out by the country’s largest online supplier of ironmongery, IronmongeryDirect. The poll, completed by over 950 tradespeople, saw 72% of respondents rate themselves as ‘happy’ or ‘very happy’ in their current role, with 70% saying they would recommend their job to others. This was despite almost half (46%) of those surveyed working over 45 hours every week, 54% regularly working weekends and almost a third (29%) taking less than two weeks holiday a year. The findings are in contrast to the overall decline in job satisfaction across the UK, highlighted by a recent survey* which found that workplace happiness has dropped steadily over the past three years, with only 41% of staff reporting being happy most of the time at work. Commenting on the survey findings, Wayne Lysaght-Mason, Managing Director of IronmongeryDirect, said: “For too long academic professions have been portrayed as the aspirational career routes to pursue while occupations in the trade sector are viewed as second class. This couldn’t be further from the truth. “There are a huge number of benefits for those taking up a trade and the results from our survey show just how fulfilling and rewarding a career on the tools can be. With acute skills shortages felt across the whole construction sector, it is the perfect time for young people to pursue a trade career and join this flourishing industry.” Skills shortages (reported by 64% of respondents), which are compounded by record employment levels, mean a trade career is likely to offer long-term job security. With 10% of the UK construction workforce made up of overseas workers**, the issue could be even further exacerbated if immigration is restricted under the terms of Brexit. Furthermore, 22% of current tradespeople are aged over 50 while 15% are in their 60s, so new talent is urgently needed to replace those nearing retirement. Trade skills can lead to lucrative careers, with half of the survey respondents earning £30k or more. There are also good prospects for self-employment, which offers added flexibility, control and the option to be selective when taking on work. This is reflected in the survey, with 78% of self-employed tradespeople rating themselves as ‘happy’ or ‘very happy’ at work. IronmongeryDirect has over 17,000 products available and in stock. Orders can be placed as late as 8pm for next day delivery from Sunday through to Friday and by 4pm on Saturdays. Free, no quibble returns are available on all products. For more information, visit IronmongeryDirect.com or call their team of specialist advisors on 0800 168 28 28.
Euramax Solutions, a leading manufacturer of PVCu windows and doors, has announced that it will extend its product range with the UK’s largest builders’ merchants, Travis Perkins. The new range will see new products and colour options available to the public in Spring 2019. Based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, Euramax Solutions has manufactured PVCu windows and doors for over 65 years. With its 200,000sq. ft manufacturing facility, Euramax supplies a range of composite and PVCu doors and windows to the modular, new build, holiday home, DIY and retail sectors across the UK. As one of the largest UK suppliers to trade professionals and self-builders, buildings merchants Travis Perkins has over 660 branches across the UK and supplies more than 100,000 product lines. Euramax has supplied products to Travis Perkins since 2004, primarily delivering standard white PVCu windows. In April 2019 the Euramax product range was extend, adding coloured PVCu windows, deluxe French doors, sliding patio doors and Bi-Fold doors to the range available to customers. “Trends in the market are always changing and evolving, which means more choice is needed to meet customer demand”, said Richard Banks, commercial director at Euramax. “As a leading manufacturer of windows and doors, it’s important to take advantage of the market shift and provide more options for customers, which is why we have extended our product range with one of the most notable UK builders merchants. “We understand that appearance is one of the primary reasons why homeowners upgrade their windows and doors, so we know that colour and style is important. Previously, Travis Perkins only supplied a selection of Euramax products in white, but as 40 per cent of the market want coloured doors and windows, we have added Chartwell green and Golden Oak options, along with Anthracite grey as it is becoming increasingly popular,” explained Banks. “We also know that customers are always looking to improve their home’s energy efficiency, which is why all of our products at combine energy efficient frames and insulating glass to deliver the best thermal performance possible,” Banks added. “Aside from our extended product range supplied at Travis Perkins, our bespoke made to measure service means that customers can purchase windows and doors to fit their exact needs.” The range of products is available now at Travis Perkins stores across the UK as well as on the website for customer collection or delivery. To find out more about Euramax and their products, visit www.euramax.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1226 361639.To browse the full range of Euramax products available at Travis Perkins, go to www.travisperkins.co.uk.
While home renovations are often the first thing that people start to look at when they feel their home needs an upgrade, before you start to rip out your kitchen or look at pricing up a new bathroom, have a look at your interior coloring. Repainting your house interior can be one of the easiest things you can do to give your home a complete makeover, but you need to make sure that you aren’t dating yourself with your color choices and decorating style. Just like you can often tell where a house is located based on its exterior style, you can also tell where a house is by its interior color scheme. From more modern styles and trends in the west to more traditional styles and coloring in the east, and if you’re in the mountainous beauty of Boulder in the Southwest you can easily get the best of all worlds by talking with your local Boulder painters to discover which trends and tones will best suit your interior. Interior Decorator, Interior Designer or Interior Painter? When you have decided that interior repaint is the way to go, you then need to decide how to go about it. How do you choose which colors and which paint types or finishes? There are several different professionals that you can call to help you get the best look for your home, and sometimes you can find teams that work together. However, you will generally find that while most of the interior specialists are independent, they will often have recommendations for who you can speak to if you need other services. So, first you will need to work out which professional you really need. Interior Decorator There can be some overlap between an interior decorator and an interior designer, but generally you’d call in an interior decorator to help you work out the best colors, art and soft furnishings to create the space that you desire. These are the people that you can say “I want my bedroom to feel like a relaxing beach holiday”, or “I want my lounge to be a place for vibrant conversations” and they can help you choose the colors and effects that will create the desired result. You can hire an interior decorator to arrange everything for you, to work with you, or to simply give you ideas or suggestions, leaving you to make all the final decisions and purchases yourself. If you have an eye for detail doing it yourself will save you money, but the first time you do your room makeover it probably won’t end up quite the way you envisioned. However, practice makes perfect, and you can always try again in another room or in the same room in a few years. As long as you haven’t moved any walls nothing is permanent. Interior Designer Although the terms Interior Designer and Interior Decorator are often used interchangeably, to call yourself an interior designer generally requires a degree qualification in interior design (see here). Interior designers are professionals who create useable spaces based on how they will be used. This means that they are the perfect professionals to call in if you are going to rip out your kitchen or want to remodel your bathroom. They are trained to analysis the space, and how it is used by the occupants, and then come up with solutions to make the area more usable. Sometimes their suggestions will be radical, whereas sometimes they will only make subtle changes, but you will generally find that an interior designer will be able to make your space just right for you. This may mean ideas like dropping a kitchen bench down 2 inches for a shorter user, adding pull out steps to reach high cupboards, moving a doorway to create better flow between rooms, or replacing a step with a ramp for increased ease of access. An interior designer might work with an interior decorator to create the right feel to a room, as although some interior designers may be good with colors and soft furnishings, this is generally not their specialty. Interior Painter There is less confusion around what an interior painter does – they paint the rooms inside your house. However, there is more to an interior painter than just this. Although they will paint whatever colors you want, wherever you want, if you ask, they often can make very helpful suggestions on a practical level. They are also the professional to speak to about what sort of paint to use in each location. Gloss, semi-gloss, matt, satin – there are a number of types of finishes and types of paint, each has pros and cons depending on the area they are being using. For a family home, for example, you will often want a paint that is easy to clean, however if you have an older home with uneven walls the high gloss that provides the easiest wipe off surface also is the worst for showing up every blemish in your walls. So, talk to your painter and listen to their advice. Experienced painters have encountered almost any circumstance imaginable when it comes to house decorating, they have seen the before and after effects of different types of paint and different colors and effects used to create a new space. You can use this knowledge to save yourself a lot of problems if you are designing the space yourself. Ask their opinion on if the color you are thinking of will make the space darker or lighter, help hold the suns heat or make the room feel cold or make a room look like it has never been cleaned – something particularly important in a bathroom or kitchen. Doing It Yourself Of course, you can do the entire remodel yourself. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/pro-or-no-what-to-consider-before-hiring-out-a-home-painting-job/2017/09/04/d97a3ffa-5b87-11e7-a9f6-7c3296387341_story.html Consulting with Pinterest for ideas and watching YouTube videos to learn how to prepare the area and paint appropriately. If you go this route, ensure that you speak to your paint supplier and
A new £11 million Future Parks fund, which will be used to secure the future of parks and greenspaces across the UK, has been announced by the National Trust And National Lottery Heritage Fund. Through a package of grants and expert guidance, Future Parks aims to tackle, head on, the growing financial challenges facing public parks, which is putting them at serious risk. Local authorities and communities will be empowered to find innovative and sustainable ways to manage and fund parks and open spaces across entire towns and cities. From a total of 81 applications across the UK, eight places, covering a population of five million people, were chosen for their ambitious and creative strategies to put green spaces right at the heart of local communities. The projects will: • make green spaces central to everyday community life • give the public a bigger role in how they are managed • ensure parks contribute more to the public’s mental and physical health • transform the way parks are funded to secure their futures For instance, in Islington and Camden the councils will focus on using parks and green spaces to improve health and wellbeing by developing closer links to the NHS, health providers, doctors and health charities. The other successful places are: • Birmingham; • Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; • Bristol; • Cambridgeshire (county-wide, covering seven council areas); • Edinburgh; • Nottingham; • Plymouth Announcing the fund, Hilary McGrady, the National Trust’s Director General, said: “Today is a landmark moment for the nation’s urban parks. “This is not just about new ways to fund and support these much-loved community spaces, but completely re-thinking the role green spaces play in our lives and how we can ensure they thrive for generations to come.”
The Buildings Show has for the past 30 years served as the single largest event held in North America. It focuses on professional networking, products, educational programming, and services in fields such as real estate, design, construction, and architecture. This year, the event will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from 4th to 6th December. What to Expect This Year As you seek information on a visa application for Canada online to attend this event, you should note there are a few changes this year. The event will this year be introducing the World of Concrete Pavilion, the PropTech expo, the Homebuilder and Renovator Expo, and the Buildings Connect. The latter—Buildings Connect—has been designed to be a gathering and networking event of great minds. It will involve a dynamic showcase intended to highlight innovative technology that can impact operational efficiencies, people, portfolios, properties, and places within a built environment. Show Info This year’s event will last from Wednesday 4th December to Friday 6th December. According to the show organisers, the exhibits on the first two days will start at 10 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. the seminars, on the other hand, will start at 8 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. On the third and final day, the exhibitions are expected to start at 9 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. There will be no exhibitions on this particular day. Market Sectors Construct Canada which will be held at the Buildings Show is an event expected to bring together more than thirty thousand industry professionals. The annual exposition will bring together industry experts to an educational event aimed at networking, and learning more about the real estate, construction, architecture, and design sectors. Together with PM Expo, World of Concrete Toronto Pavilion, STONEX Canada, and Renovator Expo, Construct Canada will ensure that you are armed with all the tools you will need to continue enhancing your professional development, as well as sharpen your skills. Attendees will need to have a registration badge that will allow them access to both the south and North buildings of the Convention Centre. The event organisers are advising participants to try and leave themselves with enough time to check out all the exhibitions in place as well as the numerous programming options on display. Why Attend The Buildings Show 2019? This year’s expo will provide exhibitors and event participants with source for innovative solutions and products at the expo. It is the ideal place to source for the latest materials, technologies, tools, and products.
When it comes to managing waste, proactive facilities managers can save their organisations a lot of money while also improving performance. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure – and this is as true for facilities management as any other profession. The ability to anticipate and head off problems before they develop into serious business issues is invaluable. Regardless of whether you are in charge of a construction site, an office block or a catering business, waste management is an area that has the potential to present significant challenges for facilities managers. But a proactive approach can make a real difference. A robust waste management plan, for example, will repay you amply in time and cost savings. Just think of the costs that organisations incur. Take the UK hospitality industry, for example. Figures from WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) suggest that this sector faces a £2.5bn annual food-waste bill, with 18% of all food served in the sector wasted. According to WRAP, with more effective waste management policies, this figure could be cut to just 5%. Aside from the obvious bottom-line impact of overspending on supplies, this kind of waste also has significant consequences for the environment, with much of it ending up in landfill. From the perspective of an organisation’s corporate social responsibility, this is far from ideal – and with punishing rates of landfill tax, it can prove even more expensive. So, what are the hallmarks of an effective waste-management approach? Identify problems – and nip them in the bud Before you even hire a skip or container to handle your waste, the ideal solution would be to ensure that as little waste as possible is generated. This means that facilities managers need to understand and address the most significant causes of waste within the business. For example, is the equipment being procured by the company long-lasting and reliable? While it might appear cheaper to buy less durable equipment or materials, this could be a false economy once waste-disposal and replacement costs are taken into account. Look also at the way the business obtains its supplies – could over-ordering be avoided by making smaller but more frequent orders? Take a collaborative approach Facilities managers can also seek input from around the business to help identify potentially wasteful practices. Construction firm Carillion, for example, has expanded its Don’t Walk By programme – originally set up to encourage staff to highlight health and safety issues – to cover unnecessary waste generation. Carillion workers have an app they can use to report any instances of wastefulness or inefficient use of resources to senior management. Reuse and recycle When procuring resources, facilities managers should also give serious consideration to whether any excess materials could be used elsewhere in the organisation, for example on future projects. Facilities managers may need to work with procurement teams to make sure that purchasing decisions take into account full life-cycle costs rather than just the initial price. Work with suppliers to find the right solution The relationship between the organisation and its suppliers can also play a crucial role in managing waste. As mentioned above, it is important to strike the right balance between the size and frequency of orders. But consider also what kind of service your suppliers are offering. Will they take back unwanted stock, for example? And will they offer you the flexibility to change the size or timing of orders if necessary? Ultimately, facilities managers who want to successfully deal with waste must work proactively and anticipate problems before they have a significant impact on profitability and efficiency. If you find yourself reacting to waste issues as opposed to heading them off, much of the damage is likely to have been done already. Takeaways: A reactive approach to waste management can cost your business a considerable amount of money – and make it less efficient. Facilities managers should identify the most serious sources of waste and develop strategies to minimize them. The most successful approach will involve collaboration with other parts of the business as well as key suppliers. Source: Reconomy