In recent weeks we have talked a lot about housing and education – focussing a great deal on what new buildings are needed. Indeed, when we think about construction we often picture building sites and piles of new materials. But so much of our industry is about far more than just new build.

That is why we all have to think about the bigger picture.

What we do as an industry never stands alone. Everything we do has a consequence. It might be the approach we take in terms of embracing community benefits when building a new school; it might be prioritising the needs of tenants and homeowners when designing a new development or it could be considering the long term impact of choosing a different set of materials over another.

Get any of these decisions wrong and years down the line the consequences will become apparent, because building anything always leaves some kind of a legacy. In terms of waste our industry is making improvements regarding that legacy. But we cannot take our eye off the ball – we have to consider how waste and issues such as sustainability fit into the bigger picture – that means thinking about what we do on site, in the design studio or in the planners office fits in later.

This is why courses such as those promoted by BEST around site waste management, design for deconstruction and designing out waste are vital. We cannot take anything for granted and need to seek out opportunities to consistently improve our knowledge about best practice.