Case Study: Miller Homes and the NWH Group – A Partnership Driving Sustainability and Success

Client: Miller Homes North East

Contract Length: Initial 2-year contract + 1-year extension (until June 2025)

Services Provided: Skips & Hooks across thirteen sites in North East England

 

Project Overview

The NWH Group has been a trusted partner for Miller Homes North East, providing comprehensive waste management solutions across multiple construction sites. We supply skips and hooks tailored to their needs, ensuring waste is managed efficiently and sustainably. By prioritising service excellence, compliance, and innovation, this partnership directly supports Miller Homes' environmental goals and waste management strategy.

 

Why Miller Homes Chose NWH

Miller Homes transitioned from working with a broker to partnering directly with the NWH Group for several reasons:

    Direct Partnership: Miller Homes valued the direct relationship with a single provider rather than working through a broker.

    Geographical Coverage: The NWH Group’s ability to deliver services in both the central belt of Scotland and Northern England offered a seamless solution across their regions.

    Established Relationship: Positive experiences with NWH in Scotland encouraged Miller Homes to extend the partnership to their operations in Northern England.

 

Challenges Faced by Miller Homes

Under the direction of their Construction Director, Neil Goodall, Miller Homes sought to improve waste management practices across their sites. Key challenges included:

    Inert Waste Reduction: The client required a significant reduction in the amount of inert materials ending up in mixed construction skips.

    Data-Driven Decision-Making: Miller Homes needed detailed and consistent reporting to monitor waste segregation and site performance.

    Operational Efficiency: Ensuring site operatives were correctly segregating and fully utilising skips to minimise unnecessary waste.

 

Solutions Delivered by the NWH Group

To address these challenges, the NWH Group implemented a range of targeted solutions:

    Site Monitoring & Education:

    Conducted site visits to observe waste segregation practices.

    Held multiple meetings with Miller Homes’ Construction and Technical Directors to align on goals and strategies.

    Supplied colour-coded tipper skips (e.g., for inert, wood, plasterboard) to simplify segregation for site personnel.

    Supported on-site education initiatives by providing materials and attending sessions to share insights.

    Customised Reporting:

    Provided detailed monthly transaction reports, highlighting site averages and anomalies.

    Delivered weekly updates during the trial phase for focused sites, helping identify trends and areas for improvement.

    Innovative Cost Management:

    Segregated waste streams to reduce contamination, leading to significant cost savings (e.g., cheaper rates for segregated wood waste versus mixed skips).

    Ensured skips were fully utilised before collection, minimising inefficiencies and additional costs.

 

Tangible Outcomes

Since implementing these initiatives in April 2023, the partnership has achieved remarkable results:

    Improved Waste Segregation: Site operatives now consistently separate waste streams, resulting in cleaner skips and fewer instances of contamination.

    Increased Recycling Rates: Recycling rates across Miller Homes' North East sites remain at an impressive 90%, supporting their sustainability goals.

    Cost Savings: While specific monetary figures are unavailable, the reduction in contaminated skips and optimised waste management processes have undoubtedly led to significant savings for Miller Homes.

    Operational Efficiencies: Weight averages for skips have decreased, aligning with best practices (e.g., mixed C&D skips at 2.5-3 tonnes, wood skips at 2 tonnes).

 

Client Testimonial

“We have worked closely with the NWH Group at a regional and national level for a number of years as not only a waste and recycling contractor but also as advisors to meet our business environmental targets. We have made significant progress in reducing the waste removed from site and decreasing the amount diverted to landfill. The NWH Group has assisted the Miller Northeast business in strategic changes in the way our sites deal with waste, as well as providing education to our site teams to continuously monitor performance and improvement. This, combined with the high level of customer service we consistently receive, makes the NWH Group an important partner for the northeast team.”

— Steve McCann, Technical Director, Miller Homes North East

 

Conclusion

The partnership between the NWH Group and Miller Homes North East exemplifies the value of collaboration and innovation in achieving shared goals. By providing tailored waste management solutions, continuous support, and data-driven insights, NWH has helped Miller Homes enhance their waste practices, meet environmental targets, and achieve cost efficiencies.

We look forward to continuing this successful partnership and driving further improvements in waste management and sustainability. Miller Homes North East

 

 

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