Sustainability
Environment Week: CASACOR tips for sustainable construction
Discover tips from CASACOR sustainability manager Darlan Firmato on how to produce a sustainable project
By Redação
Updated at Jun 9, 2022, 1:49 PM - Submitted at Jun 4, 2022, 3:14 PM
Mais de 10 min de leitura
(Denilson Machado/)
National Environment Week has been held in the first week of every June since 1981, when it was established by Decree No. 86,028 . The Week ends on World Environment Day , June 5th, and at CASACOR São Paulo – where the environment and multidisciplinary sustainability management are the watchwords – the date is honored through actions. 
This year, the Swedish Government will host the global conference, which will be themed “ One Earth ”. The aim is to highlight the need to live sustainably, in harmony with nature , promoting transformations through public policies and our choices, towards less polluting and greener lifestyles. With the 35th anniversary edition under construction at Conjunto Nacional, CASACOR São Paulo has been adopting a growing sustainability management policy since 2016 and promoting a sustainable construction site . Although there are differences between a construction site and an event – which has its own particularities and different action times than a regular construction site – it is possible to extract good practices for the work routine, which will also have an impact on your pocketbook. According to Darlan Firmato , Architect and Sustainability Manager at CASACOR São Paulo , a sustainable project is one that reduces headaches and focuses on facilitating processes and bringing benefits to those involved. “Currently, it is important to encourage the entire construction process to seek sustainability and for the construction site to become a reflection of these practices. Concerns about controlling and monitoring water and energy consumption should be basic activities that are just as important as ensuring the health and safety of workers. Care for the surroundings and neighbors of construction sites, the use of materials and the proper disposal of waste should be commitments for companies and professionals in the field.” 
The first thing to do is to adopt fast and less invasive construction techniques that allow for the reuse of materials. Always monitor water and energy use and dispose of any type of waste properly, prioritizing the circular economy. These actions have social, environmental and economic impacts.
“The rational use of resources such as energy and water is essential to the construction process . Energy rates have been rising significantly in recent years. Furthermore, a large part of the electricity in Brazil comes from hydroelectric and thermoelectric plants, which involve many environmental issues, such as large CO2 emissions and impact on local fauna and flora . If we think about water, only 3% of this resource on the planet is potable water, which makes it an extremely precious commodity. The less energy and water the construction uses, the more sustainable it will be and the cheaper the bills will be ,” explains Firmato. In addition to all the good practices necessary on a construction site, which deal with issues of logistics, storage, and care for workers, it is also important to think about experiences and concepts of the circular economy .
Each construction site has its own peculiarities and set of conditions to enable actions against waste and resource savings . We can assume that, on most construction sites, drinking water is frequently used for cleaning and other construction purposes. One can consider the possibility of replacing it with recycled water , for example, to avoid wasting such a precious resource. With this in mind, why not use recycled water for cleaning services? Certainly , reducing the consumption of drinking water will result in reduced construction costs. Evaluating the location, its climate and rainfall forecast creates the conditions for a strategy to install a cistern to collect rainwater , for example. It is very important to establish precautions for storing this water if it is to be stored for a long time. If it is necessary and essential to use drinking water during the work, it is recommended to use the resource responsibly : closing the valves between periods of use and avoiding waste due to possible leaks. Regarding electricity , it is always recommended to use equipment and wiring that are in good condition, in addition to periodically monitoring consumption . As a benefit, we obtain energy savings , speed in carrying out activities and a lower risk of accidents. Keeping equipment turned off when not in use also avoids unnecessary consumption.
This year, the Swedish Government will host the global conference, which will be themed “ One Earth ”. The aim is to highlight the need to live sustainably, in harmony with nature , promoting transformations through public policies and our choices, towards less polluting and greener lifestyles. With the 35th anniversary edition under construction at Conjunto Nacional, CASACOR São Paulo has been adopting a growing sustainability management policy since 2016 and promoting a sustainable construction site . Although there are differences between a construction site and an event – which has its own particularities and different action times than a regular construction site – it is possible to extract good practices for the work routine, which will also have an impact on your pocketbook. According to Darlan Firmato , Architect and Sustainability Manager at CASACOR São Paulo , a sustainable project is one that reduces headaches and focuses on facilitating processes and bringing benefits to those involved. “Currently, it is important to encourage the entire construction process to seek sustainability and for the construction site to become a reflection of these practices. Concerns about controlling and monitoring water and energy consumption should be basic activities that are just as important as ensuring the health and safety of workers. Care for the surroundings and neighbors of construction sites, the use of materials and the proper disposal of waste should be commitments for companies and professionals in the field.” The first thing to do is to adopt fast and less invasive construction techniques that allow for the reuse of materials. Always monitor water and energy use and dispose of any type of waste properly, prioritizing the circular economy. These actions have social, environmental and economic impacts. Rational Use of Resources
“The rational use of resources such as energy and water is essential to the construction process . Energy rates have been rising significantly in recent years. Furthermore, a large part of the electricity in Brazil comes from hydroelectric and thermoelectric plants, which involve many environmental issues, such as large CO2 emissions and impact on local fauna and flora . If we think about water, only 3% of this resource on the planet is potable water, which makes it an extremely precious commodity. The less energy and water the construction uses, the more sustainable it will be and the cheaper the bills will be ,” explains Firmato. In addition to all the good practices necessary on a construction site, which deal with issues of logistics, storage, and care for workers, it is also important to think about experiences and concepts of the circular economy .
Water Reuse
Each construction site has its own peculiarities and set of conditions to enable actions against waste and resource savings . We can assume that, on most construction sites, drinking water is frequently used for cleaning and other construction purposes. One can consider the possibility of replacing it with recycled water , for example, to avoid wasting such a precious resource. With this in mind, why not use recycled water for cleaning services? Certainly , reducing the consumption of drinking water will result in reduced construction costs. Evaluating the location, its climate and rainfall forecast creates the conditions for a strategy to install a cistern to collect rainwater , for example. It is very important to establish precautions for storing this water if it is to be stored for a long time. If it is necessary and essential to use drinking water during the work, it is recommended to use the resource responsibly : closing the valves between periods of use and avoiding waste due to possible leaks. Regarding electricity , it is always recommended to use equipment and wiring that are in good condition, in addition to periodically monitoring consumption . As a benefit, we obtain energy savings , speed in carrying out activities and a lower risk of accidents. Keeping equipment turned off when not in use also avoids unnecessary consumption.
Moving from the Linear Economy to the Circular Economy
The next five strategies – reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture and repurpose – aim to extend the useful life of products and materials . The last two strategies (recycle and recover) aim to find useful applications for the materials and energy (respectively) stored in discarded products, if and when none of the other strategies can be applied. Thus, the 10 Rs can be an interesting model for transforming our economy from linear to circular .
Avoiding losses and waste should be a priority on a sustainable construction site. Bagged materials, such as cement, should be stored in storage areas, organized according to the manufacturers' recommendations to prevent the materials located below in the pile from spoiling, reducing costs and the risk of accidents. Identifying the recommendations on the product packaging is essential. The correct stock makes handling easier and prevents injuries and bruises for workers. “It is always important to provide space for movement between the stacks so that workers can work with ease,” adds Firmato. Protecting materials from the elements , such as rain and wind, prevents them from spoiling easily. It is recommended to store them in a covered place, cover them with tarps and avoid contact with the ground.
A cleaner construction site with less waste is a safer construction site, with less headaches and cheaper. Furthermore, the organization of the construction site prevents accidents and preserves everyone's health , avoiding contamination and the proliferation of insects and animals. At CASACOR São Paulo , all waste is treated correctly . Meals at the construction site are prepared in a cafeteria and leftovers are collected and taken to a composting plant, promoting soil regeneration, avoiding landfills and the emergence of vectors. “A recommended strategy is to create a Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) for your project. The SWMP plays an important role in urban development policy and environmental preservation, as it contributes to reducing the environmental impacts resulting from the generation of waste , mainly produced in urban areas. In addition, it also contributes to increasing the percentage of recycled and recovered waste , generating social and economic benefits for the population through the generation of jobs and income, and environmental benefits through the reduction in the consumption of inputs and raw materials in the production of construction materials,” he adds. According to the National Solid Waste Policy (Federal Law No. 12,305 of August 2, 2010), responsibility for waste management is shared and it is up to the generator to separate the waste at the source and dispose of it correctly , observing the waste hierarchy: non-generation, reuse, recycling and composting, energy recovery and putting an end to final disposal in landfills. Therefore, thinking about a more sustainable work, whatever its size, is everyone's role. The purpose of the PGRS is to formalize waste management , determining: classification and generation estimation, storage and sorting methods on the site, appropriate forms of transportation, control of documentation and records, in addition to good practices adopted during the process. With the approval of the PGRS and the site's logistics planning, workers must be instructed to segregate materials , bag them and transport them internally to a storage location for later transportation and external disposal by the waste management company. Whenever possible, it is important to promote the reuse of construction site waste as new material . This reduces construction costs by requiring fewer materials to be purchased. Reusing debris for fillers or using packaging to protect against paint splashes are common practices on sustainable construction sites. “Paint residues and other chemical materials cannot be thrown down sinks, drains or disposed of in the general sewage system, as they are considered hazardous waste. Soil and water contamination due to pigments and substances present in paints must be avoided . CASACOR provides a brush washer exclusively for cleaning painting tools and the collected sludge is sent for reverse logistics with the manufacturer. The same applies to all leftover paint and cans that are recycled.”
It is worth highlighting that CASACOR São Paulo currently achieves a 99.7% recovery rate . In other words, this waste is no longer sent to landfills and is used to promote the circular economy . For example, rubble is sent to plants and returned to the construction chain as aggregate, plaster is sent to cement plants and refractory production, wood is turned into biomass, among others. Several noble materials, not reused by architects, are donated to NGOs and maintain their useful life cycle. At CASACOR , recycling is the last resort for recovering waste and is part of a chain of actions that include, first and foremost, raising awareness and promoting possible actions in the day-to-day construction, maintenance and dismantling .Learn about CASACOR São Paulo's 2022 Sustainability Report, click here!
Avoid wasting material
Avoiding losses and waste should be a priority on a sustainable construction site. Bagged materials, such as cement, should be stored in storage areas, organized according to the manufacturers' recommendations to prevent the materials located below in the pile from spoiling, reducing costs and the risk of accidents. Identifying the recommendations on the product packaging is essential. The correct stock makes handling easier and prevents injuries and bruises for workers. “It is always important to provide space for movement between the stacks so that workers can work with ease,” adds Firmato. Protecting materials from the elements , such as rain and wind, prevents them from spoiling easily. It is recommended to store them in a covered place, cover them with tarps and avoid contact with the ground.
Separate waste for disposal, recycling and reuse
A cleaner construction site with less waste is a safer construction site, with less headaches and cheaper. Furthermore, the organization of the construction site prevents accidents and preserves everyone's health , avoiding contamination and the proliferation of insects and animals. At CASACOR São Paulo , all waste is treated correctly . Meals at the construction site are prepared in a cafeteria and leftovers are collected and taken to a composting plant, promoting soil regeneration, avoiding landfills and the emergence of vectors. “A recommended strategy is to create a Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) for your project. The SWMP plays an important role in urban development policy and environmental preservation, as it contributes to reducing the environmental impacts resulting from the generation of waste , mainly produced in urban areas. In addition, it also contributes to increasing the percentage of recycled and recovered waste , generating social and economic benefits for the population through the generation of jobs and income, and environmental benefits through the reduction in the consumption of inputs and raw materials in the production of construction materials,” he adds. According to the National Solid Waste Policy (Federal Law No. 12,305 of August 2, 2010), responsibility for waste management is shared and it is up to the generator to separate the waste at the source and dispose of it correctly , observing the waste hierarchy: non-generation, reuse, recycling and composting, energy recovery and putting an end to final disposal in landfills. Therefore, thinking about a more sustainable work, whatever its size, is everyone's role. The purpose of the PGRS is to formalize waste management , determining: classification and generation estimation, storage and sorting methods on the site, appropriate forms of transportation, control of documentation and records, in addition to good practices adopted during the process. With the approval of the PGRS and the site's logistics planning, workers must be instructed to segregate materials , bag them and transport them internally to a storage location for later transportation and external disposal by the waste management company. Whenever possible, it is important to promote the reuse of construction site waste as new material . This reduces construction costs by requiring fewer materials to be purchased. Reusing debris for fillers or using packaging to protect against paint splashes are common practices on sustainable construction sites. “Paint residues and other chemical materials cannot be thrown down sinks, drains or disposed of in the general sewage system, as they are considered hazardous waste. Soil and water contamination due to pigments and substances present in paints must be avoided . CASACOR provides a brush washer exclusively for cleaning painting tools and the collected sludge is sent for reverse logistics with the manufacturer. The same applies to all leftover paint and cans that are recycled.”
The CASACOR São Paulo case
It is worth highlighting that CASACOR São Paulo currently achieves a 99.7% recovery rate . In other words, this waste is no longer sent to landfills and is used to promote the circular economy . For example, rubble is sent to plants and returned to the construction chain as aggregate, plaster is sent to cement plants and refractory production, wood is turned into biomass, among others. Several noble materials, not reused by architects, are donated to NGOs and maintain their useful life cycle. At CASACOR , recycling is the last resort for recovering waste and is part of a chain of actions that include, first and foremost, raising awareness and promoting possible actions in the day-to-day construction, maintenance and dismantling .Learn about CASACOR São Paulo's 2022 Sustainability Report, click here!