MyWaste Campaign Urges Builders to Cut Skip Waste and Separate Materials

MyWaste has promoted improved on-site materials management through its "Think Before You Skip It" campaign aimed at small and medium builders.

According to the campaign, construction and demolition waste represents Ireland’s largest waste stream, generating approximately 7.9 million tonnes in 2024. The initiative points out that material value is often lost when reusable items, timber, plasterboard, metals, packaging, and general waste are combined into a single skip.

The guidance advises contractors and trades to determine whether materials can be retained, reused, returned to suppliers, donated, sold, or recycled before opting for disposal. Suggested measures include holding pre-start discussions with clients to earmark items like cabinets, doors, flooring, sanitary ware, and excess materials for preservation or reuse. For specific streams, the campaign recommends keeping doors, pallets, and clean timber offcuts segregated, while ensuring plasterboard offcuts remain dry and separated from general construction waste.