How does sustainability approach minimise

How does sustainability approach minimise the use of bag, plastic, jars etc. in construction?

Abstract

The research is based on the sustainability approaches for minimising the usage of plastics and other products in the construction sector of UK. The company management of construction sector has focused on the effective application of plastics and other products which are operated through focusing on crucial analysis of the relevant study and influence.

The threats of unintended consequences from switching away substitute has also affected the sustainability concern. Moreover, the construction industry has dependent on western application of crude oil for application of the processes.

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The economically efficient and ergonomically conceptualised approaches has been maintained through focusing on the environment pollution. Same pattern of research papers has already been published which are utilised as the secondary sources and relevant theoretical information are extracted from the journal articles and books.

The theoretical and the practical approaches of construction sector should also been included and the related theoretical approaches has also been determined through the approach.

Introduction

The practices for establishing the structure and application of resource-efficient environmental responsible processes has supported the sustainability concern in the construction throughout the building life cycle(Turku, et al., 2017). It has focused on designing, construction, maintenance and operation where the concern of sustainability is enforced(Kumar & Baskar, 2015).

The main aim for the sustainable construction focused on application of recyclable and renewable energy resources, reduction in the waste and energy consumption, creation of the environment-friendly and healthy environment for the residents.

The application of plastic, bags and jars are also highlighted in the construction field which are required to be managed for controlling the pollution in soil or air medium(Khan, et al., 2016). The companies has faced the constraints of rising cost associated with the construction process which has disrupted the managerial body to focus on the environmental concern.

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The adaptation of sustainable construction approaches reduced the impact of organisation in environment(Yadav & Chandrakar, 2017). Following the sustainable approaches of business would also reduce the impact of rising waste volume and the managerial body has also required to be indulged with the approaches for waste management for maintaining the sustainability concern(Eckersley, 2013).

The main aim of the study is to determine the approach of sustainability for minimising the impact of plastic, bags and jars in the construction field. The report has justified the aspects of plastics and sustainability concern from relevant literature with focusing on the methods.

Literature review

Plastic and sustainability – overview

The sustainability concern of construction sector has focused on three approaches which are considered social, economic and environmental perspective for executing continuous operation. Plastics has made an immense contribution for the environmental sustainability through focusing on the perspective of intrinsic recyclability and potential saving approaches(Arof, et al., 2018).

The economically important plastic has raised the financial growth of UK which is demonstrated from its rising impact whereas the construction companies has also used the plastics for the purpose of carrying or other works in large volume. From the social aspect, plastic industry has affected the economic and employment perspective which are adapted for maintaining consistency.

Plastics in construction

The negative impacts of plastic are demonstrated through its composition and rising usage which has impacted the environment adversely(Banawi & Bilec, 2014). Diversified range of tools and equipment are adapted for building the construction work which are made of plastics.

The packaging of plastic has made up of 906 chemicals which are toxic for the environment(Biswas, 2014). The health implications of human united plastics is indicated as the risk based approach where neurotoxic substances are applied for the commercial purposes. From the regent report, the footprint of plastics are highlighted in all the relevant field which has clearly reflect the application purpose of it(Dwyer, et al., 2012).

The threats of unintended consequences from switching away substitute has also affected the sustainability concern. Moreover, the construction industry has dependent on western application of crude oil for application of the processes(Fengler, et al., 2008). On the other hand, UK government has also applied different legislations for stipulating the green practices of construction firms.

The production of building is completely incorporated with the efficient technologies which has estimated the revenue generation of $245 billion(Upadhyay & Tiwari, 2019). Mainly, the recyclable and renewable plastics are recommended to use and maintaining sustainability in construction sector.

The number of ongoing UK construction are considered as 314,590 which has indicated the rise in carrying the cements and other products through bags. From the recent report, 68.33% of the materials are carried over bags fort safety and higher utilisation. It would also rise the employment opportunity for the citizens which has supported social sustainability.

The recycling of the bags has also provided an opportunity to maintain the regulation related to environment. The detailed analysis of lifecycle and environmental product declaration is considered as rare and it is also difficult for comparing the product group or benchmark.

From the report of Environmental Agency of UK, it has been identified that conventional single use plastic bags are reused for three times whereas the LDPE bags and cotton bags can be reused as 4 and 131 times respectively(Raut, et al., 2015).

Plastics has focused on the structured environmental profile where 4% of the oil production is utilised for plastic. It is also durable in nature due to being light weight and saving weight in aircraft, packaging and cars.

The economically efficient and ergonomically conceptualised approaches has been maintained through focusing on the environment pollution (Turku, et al., 2017). The health implications of human united plastics is indicated as the risk based approach where neurotoxic substances are applied for the commercial purposes.

It has focused on designing, construction, maintenance and operation where the concern of sustainability is enforced. On the other hand, the mechanical recycling approach is undertaken where plastics are washed and grounded into melted powders, Prior to the recycling approaches would be sorted acceding to the pattern of resin.

The recycled plastics are also used for concrete, roofing tiles, structural lumber, indoor insulation, bricks and PVC windows, fences and floor tiles which has indicated the importance of recycling the plastics.

Packaging and construction

Plastic packaging has minimised the waste volume and they are also characterised as resource efficient, lightweight and other barrier properties. Savings in energy and reduction in waste has accomplished through plastic packaging.

It has also played a crucial role in sustainable construction which is applied in plastic foam insulation, PVC windows and water pipes(Moon, et al., 2016). From the recent report, it has been evaluated that the buildings had focused on optimal standards where they would save 460 million tonnes carbon di oxide in a year.

The plastic foam has provided improved quality of insulated properties which are cost-effective from the perspective of construction companies. The application of melamine formaldehyde or EPS has saved energy which is also beneficial from the perspective of construction companies.

1 Kilogram of oil applied for making EPS would save the equivalent 75 kilogram of oil for heating the building life’s 25 years(Biswas, 2014). The plastic pipes have used less volume of energy for production of iron and concrete since the lightweight saved from the transportation emission and cost in the building sector.

Moreover, the jars are also used for transmission of the chemicals and oils to one portion to another. The replacement of London’s Victorian pipesalong with new plastic pipe has minimised the leakage which saved the significant volume of water. The consequent energy savings are mainly applied for pumping the water and execute the process.

The construction and building sector are getting benefitted through reduction in maintenance and operational cost. The running cost has been minimised by 80% based on total running costs(Raut, et al., 2015)

The research question for the study is considered as follows.

  • How does sustainability approach minimise the use of bag, plastic, jars etc. in construction?

The dependent and independent variables for the research on environmental sustainability in the construction sector are directly dependent. The rising volume of plastics, bags and other products of same genre would influenced the environment in the construction field which is evaluated through the study. Moreover, both the positive and negative influence of the plastics are demonstrated based on sustainability approach.

Purpose

The research project has aimed to identify the impact of plastic, bags and other jar  materials in the construction sector of UK. The research paper would provide detailed description related to the environmental sustainability which is structured based on following points.

  • Literature review and detailed analysis of environmental sustainability in the construction sector
  • Adaptation of the case study approach for evaluating the plastic impact in construction sector.
  • Analysis of the gathered data for providing critical aspects of the sustainability concern in the field of using plastics and other products.

The research paper will be based on adaptation of qualitative research design where the in-depth analysis related to the topic is demonstrated. The literature review is based on relevant and suitable data according to the subject or topic which has provided clear overview about the application of plastic and other materials in the construction sector(Flick, 2015).

The research should also focused on packaging and construction approaches which would provide the researcher a particular direction for completing the study process.

Research type

The project will be based on exploratory approach which has developed understanding and knowledge for the construction sector and it has also supported the aspects of environmental sustainability in the construction sector.

Same pattern of research papers has already been published which are utilised as the secondary sources and relevant theoretical information are extracted from the journal articles and books(Han, et al., 2016).

The descriptive approach has incorporated for raising knowledge about the topic which has inclined the particular approach of using plastics in the construction sector. The inter-relationship between the construction sector and environmental aspects has addressed through focusing on usage of plastic and other products.

Epistemology

Epistemology refers to the philosophic branch which has determined the acceptable knowledge in the particular field of subject. It has also explored the different processes for evaluating the nature of physical and social world.

The research has progressed through focusing on four aspects which are considered as pragmatism, positivism, realism and interpretism(Kumar, 2019). The theoretical and the practical approaches of construction sector should also been included and the related theoretical approaches has also been determined through the approach(Dwyer, et al., 2012).

The green building manufacturers are getting benefitted through applying long-lasting and recyclable products which indicated the demand of fewer materials under the structure.

Inclining the services in the direction of social and economic sustainability also provide the businesses an opportunity to maintain the concern of business process. Thus, the descriptive approaches should be incorporated for conducting critical and accurate analysis based on the study.

Research methodology

Research methodology refers to the approach for completing the research with focusing on all the important and crucial aspect. Research approaches are mainly developed for testing the hypothesis which is characterised from the empirical observation gained from the secondary sources(Mackey & Gass, 2015).

Mainly, inductive and deductive research approaches are mainly adapted by the business processes for maintaining the consistent processes of research. The research on importance of environmentalaspects has been progressed through deductive research approach. Inductive approach mainly focused on new theory generation whereas deductive approach is based on testing of the existing theory for being progressed into the study(Banawi & Bilec, 2014).

The approaches for using the plastics and other components would maintain the concern of environmental sustainability and both the positive or negative aspects has also been recorded.

The literature review is based on relevant and suitable data according to the subject or topic which has provided clear overview about the application of plastic and other materials in the construction sector. The in-depth analysis of the environmental sustainability and its connection with social or economic sustainability are interpreted through following the research approach.

Data collection method

Data collection technique is considered as the process for accumulating relevant and crucial data based on the research process and subject. The research on environmental sustainability and plastics has been progressed through qualitative analysis. It has demonstrated the improved interpretation and quality deliverables for being consistent with the study(Flick, 2015).

Primary data collection method is based on the information which is gathered from the individual who are involved with the process whereas secondary data collection focused on the accumulation of the content of previous works which indicated the reliability of data.

The rising volume of plastics, bags and other products of same genre would influenced the environment in the construction field which is evaluated through the study. The data based on UK constructions sector and the application of plastic materials should be provided importance for making the research effective(Han, et al., 2016).

The research should also focused on packaging and construction approaches which would provide the researcher a particular direction for completing the study process. Same pattern of research papers has already been published which are utilised as the secondary sources and relevant theoretical information are extracted from the journal articles and books.

Ethics

The ethical aspects has also been addressed through choice of the recent and relevant articles with the topic. The researcher need not to be biased with any aspects of environmental pollution and the construction sector. The replacement of London’s Victorian pipes along with new plastic pipe has minimised the leakage which saved the significant volume of water.

Reflection

I was involved in preparing the proposal and would like to work on the final research paper. The research is based on the sustainability approaches for minimising the usage of plastics and other products in the construction sector of UK and I decided to apply the process of secondary data analysis for gaining insight related to the topic.

The green building manufacturers are getting benefitted through applying long-lasting and recyclable products which indicated the demand of fewer materials under the structure. Inclining the services in the direction of social and economic sustainability also provide the businesses an opportunity to maintain the concern of business process.I have also analysed the topic in a critical manner.

The plastic foam has provided improved quality of insulated properties which are cost-effective from the perspective of construction companies. The application of melamine formaldehyde or EPS has saved energy which is also beneficial from the perspective of construction companies.

References

Arof, M., Zahreen, K., Ismail, S. & Saleh, A., 2018. Critical Success Factors of Contractor’s Performance Appraisal System in Malaysian Construction Industry. Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, 1(1), p. 14.

Banawi, A. & Bilec, M., 2014. A framework to improve construction processes: Integrating Lean, Green and Six Sigma. International Journal of Construction Management, 1(14), pp. 45-55.

Biswas, W., 2014. Carbon footprint and embodied energy consumption assessment of building construction works in Western Australia. International Journal of Sustainable Built Environment, 2(3), pp. 179-186.

Dwyer, L., Gill, A. & Seetaram, N. e., 2012. Handbook of research methods: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. 1 ed. London: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Eckersley, R., 2013. Poles apart?: the social construction of responsibility for climate change in Australia and Norway. Australian Journal of Politics & History, 3(59), pp. 382-396.

Fengler, W., Ihsan, A. & Kaiser, K., 2008. Managing Post-Disaster Reconstruction Finance. International Experience in Public Financial Management, 1(1), p. 14.

Flick, U., 2015. Introducing research methodology: A beginner’s guide to doing a research project. London: Sage.

Han, M. et al., 2016. Virtual water accounting for a building construction engineering project with nine sub-projects: a case in E-town, Beijing. Journal of Cleaner Production, 1(112), pp. 4691-4700.

Khan, I., Kabir, S., Alhussain, M. & Almansoor, F., 2016. Asphalt design using recycled plastic and crumb-rubber waste for sustainable pavement construction. Procedia Engineering, 1(145), pp. 1557-1564.

Kumar, K. & Baskar, K., 2015. Recycling of E-plastic waste as a construction material in developing countries. Journal of material cycles and waste management, 4(17), pp. 718-724.

Kumar, R., 2019. Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. 5 ed. London: Sage Publications Limited,ISBN:9781526457080.

Mackey, A. & Gass, S., 2015. Second language research: Methodology and design.. 1st ed. London: Routledge.

Moon, J., Bae, H., Song, J. & Choi, S., 2016. Algorithmic methods of reference-line construction for estimating long-term strength of plastic pipe system. Polymer Testing, 1(56), pp. 58-64.

Raut, A., Patel, M., Jadhwar, N. & Dhengare, S., 2015. Investigating the application of waste plastic bottle as a construction material-a review. Journal of Advance Research in Mechanical & Civil Engineering (ISSN: 2208-2379), 3(2), pp. 86-99.

Turku, I. et al., 2017. Characterization of wood plastic composites manufactured from recycled plastic blends. Composite Structures, 1(161), pp. 469-476.

Upadhyay, Y. & Tiwari, D., 2019. To Study About Use of Plastic Waste in Flexible Road Construction. International Journal of Construction Engineering and Planning, 1(5), pp. 12-17.

Yadav, A. & Chandrakar, R., 2017. Construction of plastic roads: An effective way to utilize wastes. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, 11(4), pp. 650-652.

 

 

 

 

 

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