Woodhead Construction takes waste journey with Enva

Tonnes of waste is produced from construction activity every day. Woodhead Construction’s Climate Action Framework sets out how the company will tackle waste long term but thanks to its partnership with Enva, 98% of its site waste is already either recycled or diverted from landfill. 

Glenn Slater, Woodhead’s Chief Visionary officer, stepped into the world of waste management with Enva to find out exactly how this is done.  

Glenn visited Woodhead’s Eastglade site for Nottingham City Homes and Nottingham City Council to see how the Company approached waste management through careful planning, segregation and collaboration. The Eastglade site in Top Valley will see 106 new council homes delivered. From here, Glen followed the journey of the site waste generated to Enva’s Nottingham facility.

When arriving at Enva’s materials recycling facility, Glenn learnt that around 3,000 tonnes of waste per week is processed and sorted.

This includes wood that will be transferred to another plant ready to be turned into either animal bedding or chipboard. Any residual material is transformed into quality biomass fuel ready to be re-used for energy.

Glenn commented, “The visit was a real eye opener, the process Enva use to separate out mixed wasted into different re-usable products, is very impressive. The scale is massive, yet simplicity is clear. In particular, the roller which separates the materials, it’s simple but effective. 

“What really struck me was the volume of waste that was actually generated.  Whilst the work Enva do to divert 98% of waste from landfill, as a business and an industry, focus needs to be on reducing waste generated on site in the first instance.” 

Adrian Cheetham, Director of Property, Nottingham City Homes comments, “We welcome this sustainable approach to the recycling of materials from our sites. Practices such as this all contribute to Nottingham’s ambitions to be a carbon neutral city by 2028.” 

Paul Clements, Commercial Director of Enva said, “It was great to be able to welcome Robert Woodhead and Nottingham City Homes to Enva’s Resource Recovery Facility and capture the journey from waste to resources. Invariably we find that knowledge and understanding are key to achieving high levels of engagement that support increased recycling and reduced contamination.  By taking the time to communicate the recycling process we are able to optimise the amount of valuable resources we recover for use in more sustainable supply chains. 

“We are proud to support and partner with strategic organisations like Robert Woodhead as we to continue to strengthen our dedication to developing new and innovative products and solutions whilst extending the life cycle of the world’s resource which is the key driver of our business.”  

Enva and Woodhead have been partners for over 10 years and received an International Green Apple Award for collaborative working. Both companies look forward to many more years’ strategic working as they continue on the journey to a low carbon future, highlight the importance of waste management, collaboration and the critical need to address the climate crisis together.

View Glenn’s video journey here: