Page 545 - Solid Waste Analysis and Minimization a Systems Approach

INDUSTRY LEADERS—THE INTERNATIONAL SOLID WASTE ASSOCIATION 523

significant environmental impact. BAA has sought to lead the U.K. construction
industry in the use of sustainable construction materials:

■ HCFCs and HFCs have been almost completely eliminated from the T5 project.
■ Only timber that has been approved by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) has
been used by BAA, ensuring it’s been sourced from a sustainable supply.
■ Over 300,000 tones of aggregate was processed and recycled on site from demoli-
tion materials and waste concrete.
■ Crushed green glass from domestic household–recycling banks was used as a base
for T5 site roads.
■ Around 6.5 million cubic meters of earth was moved during the project. This earth
has been used to backfill excavations and landscape the terminal.
■ Waste materials were segregated on site and 85 percent of the waste from the proj-
ect has been recycled.

In addition, efforts have been made to reduce emissions and water usage. Heating,
cooling, and powering airport terminals all require energy that contributes to CO 2
emissions. BAA is on target to reduce its own CO emissions from energy by 15 percent
2
below 1990 levels by 2010. This is in excess of the United Kingdom’s targets under
the Kyoto treaty and despite a predicted growth in passenger numbers of 70 percent
during this period.
Water for nonpotable use at T5 is sourced from a rainwater-harvesting scheme and
groundwater boreholes, reducing the demand on the public water supply by 70 percent.
The rainwater-harvesting system reuses 85 percent of all the rainwater that falls on T5.
All toilets, taps, and showers are water-efficient.
In terms of solid waste management, BAA has implemented a large program to
recycle waste and transform it into energy. BAA has a target of recycling or com-
posting 40 percent of its waste by 2010 and 70 percent of its waste by 2020. They
also aim to send zero waste to landfill by 2020. From 2008 waste that currently goes
to landfill will go to an energy-generating waste-incineration plant. BAA is also
investigating turning its nonrecyclable waste into energy through an on-site anaerobic
digestion plant.
Heathrow will be one of the first sites in Britain to trial generating zero-carbon energy
from waste heat. The new technology will convert waste heat from Heathrow’s exist-
ing boilers into zero-carbon electricity. The electricity generated will be used to power
the terminals without burning more fossil fuels.

42.6 Industry Leaders—The

International Solid Waste Association

The International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) is an international, independent, and
nonprofit association, working in the public interest to promote and develop sustainable