Hoarding, the temporary fencing which surrounds construction sites, has evolved from traditional timber hoarding to make far more use of sustainable and environmentally friendly, materials such as steel and plastic.
Sustainable hoarding is often classed as hoarding which makes use of materials that are deemed to come from a sustainable source and have limited impact upon the environment.
But I thought timber was sustainable?
Even though some timber hoarding may be FSC approved, it does not mean that trees are not cut down and ecosystems are damaged by using this traditional method. Yes, the Forest Stewardship Council tries its utmost to ensure that timber is sourced as responsibly as possible, but it does mean that timber is effectively harvested for hoarding which could use a fully sustainable and closed-loop 100% recyclable material. In addition, many construction sites still send timber hoarding to landfills once the project is complete, due to it being a predominantly single-use system.
The rise of closed-loop hoarding
There has been a concerted effort on the part of many construction companies to reduce both their carbon footprint and that of their projects. This embracing of sustainability has resulted in a move away from timber to fully sustainable hoarding solutions such as recycled plastic hoarding and steel hoarding, both of which can be used multiple times, unlike timber which is often only used once.
Plastic hoarding and steel hoarding are both classed as closed-loop solutions due to their ability to be used multiple times and they can be 100% recycled.
Benefits of sustainable hoarding:
- Zero waste to landfill
- Maintenance-free
- Increased BREEAM & Considerate Contractors score
- Quick and easy to erect and dismantle
- Manufactured from recycled waste plastics and steel
- Reusable & Recyclable
Many of the benefits listed above have both cost and environmental benefits, ensuring that more and more contractors are either actively using sustainable solutions or are in the process of moving towards adopting them.