With the UK construction sector currently accounting for around 60 million tonnes of waste annually – around two thirds of total output – the acquisition will help local authorities and other public sector organisations deliver significant carbon savings and minimise the environmental impact of construction projects.

The construction industry current loses almost £1.4 billion per year in profit though overspend on waste. Alongside significant potential savings for the public purse, proper waste management also supports the circular economy through sustainable use of resources.

The procurement authority, which is currently performance managing the delivery of more than 1,800 publicly-funded projects across the UK, has agreed terms to acquire the Construction Waste Portal – a digital crowdsourcing platform designed to help contractors predict, plan and prevent construction waste through intelligent data use. The platform also provides a direct connection with waste management specialists.

The Construction Waste Portal, which was recently featured by the UK Green Building Council as an innovative environmental platform, will enable SCAPE’s delivery partners to better forecast and manage project waste.

The strategic acquisition further strengthens the value-added capabilities of SCAPE’s construction, consultancy and civil engineering frameworks, which combined with its recently launched Net Zero Navigator, will support the attainment of ambitious sustainability targets within its frameworks.

John Logan, founder of the portal will also join SCAPE as a part of the acquisition, further adding to the organisation’s sustainability credentials. The portal has been built on the assessment of data from almost 1,000 completed projects across the UK.

It also represents the latest investment in digital innovation for SCAPE, having recently launched MySCAPE, a digital project companion for clients and the Social Partnership Portal – a new platform that enables contractors to create social value by easily connecting project commissioners to an extensive, accredited network of social enterprises suppliers, enabling the fairer distribution of opportunities.

Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE Scotland, said: “We are focused on helping our clients to deliver their ambitious environmental aims through practical innovation. Swiftly following the new Glasgow Climate Pact agreed at COP26 and the introduction of the Environment Bill in the UK, this acquisition will better equip our partners to accelerate the public sector’s progress towards net zero. We’re committed to doing everything we can to help reduce the construction industry’s carbon footprint, and improve the sustainable use of resources. This reaffirms our promise to continuously reinvest in the services we provide to clients and to support a more socially responsible construction industry in the future.

“Through this disruptive portal, we can drive a marked reduction in waste and carbon emissions, as well as reduce the overall cost of waste in pursuit of a more circular, low carbon economy. We’re looking forward to working closely with our construction sector partners to bring the portal into regular use on our clients’ projects very soon.” 

John Logan, founder of Construction Waste Portal, said: “The core principle of the portal is to apply data science so that contractors can produce accurate forecasts and prioritise the reduction of waste over and above recycling it. In sharing these values, SCAPE is the perfect partner for embedding the platform as a central feature in the industry’s strategy on waste; connecting construction partners to the best resource management companies across Scotland.”