What Price Sustainability…?

Exclusive audio podcast by Terry Quarmby, president of the Institute of Demolition Engineers.

Terry Quarmby
Terry Quarmby

Anyone with even the most tenuous link to the demolition business knows that demolition contractors are the undisputed world leaders in the recycling and reuse of materials, a fact that has put this industry at the very forefront of the drive for sustainability.

However, as this exclusive audio podcast reveals, this leadership comes at a cost.

What follows is the raw audio recording of a presentation by Terry Quarmby, president of the Institute of Demolition Engineers, in which he suggests that all is not rosy in the sustainability garden. In fact, Quarmby says:

  • Architects and designers are undermining sustainability initiatives by an increasing use of non-recyclable, composite materials
  • Demolition industry waste return figures are combined with those of the construction sector to help bolster the construction sector’s less-than-impressive statistics
  • That the construction industry is unlikely to reach Government targets to reduce waste to landfill.
  • The sustainability is being pursued at the cost of health and safety, forcing the demolition workforce back into more hazardous areas.
  • That the growth in sustainability has been mirrored with a growth in on-site incidents and accidents

The following podcast runs for about 30 minutes but please try to find the time to listen to this either here or via iTunes.