Site Waste Management Plans

Site Waste Management Plans -(SMWPs) 2008

 

Summary

From 6th April 2008, all building projects in England over £300,000 must have a site waste management plan. The purpose of this legislation is to resolve the shortage of landfill space and the declining number of waste management sites by minimising waste at source on construction sites through the accurate assessment of the use of materials and the potential for their re-use and recycling both on and off site.

Whilst not legislation, SWMPs are encouraged in Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland as a course of best practice. Using SWMPs are considered to be key to reducing costs within the construction industry as they help minimise waste and manage waste more efficiently. Furthermore, elements of site waste management planning will begin to appear in sub-contractors contracts, dealing with segregation and waste management policies as well as influencing purchasing decisions with the view of reducing the volume of packaging waste and waste stock materials.

This legislation is also likely to tackle fly tipping.  There will be an emphasis on the segregation and control of different types of waste. 

 

Implications

SWMPS directly influence construction companies in England involved in project value in excess of £300k. This not only includes the primary contractor but also those sub-contracted into the project. This legislation will require the prime contractor on eligible projects to establish and maintain a waste management plan that ensures efficient measuring, monitoring and segregation of waste on site. Furthermore, this legislation overlaps with ‘Duty of Care' requirements stipulating that waste is handled, managed and disposed of responsibly and that any body carrying waste is suitably licensed.

These changes could mean a reduction in the number of hazardous waste disposal sites. Further changes could also see an increase in materials being classed as hazardous. 

As the SWMPs will also focus on fly tipping, employers will need to be sure that all waste that is leaving their site is being disposed of legally. 

 

Overlaps

As this legislation will seek to tackle fly tipping, it will overlap with others that tackle this such as the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003 and Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations.

SWMPs will overlap with the Code for Sustainable Homes, as the Code sets minimum standards for all elements of house construction, which include site waste management.

 

Opportunities

SWMPs aim to reduce amounts of waste going to landfill.  By doing this, the industry stands to save money being spent on Landfill Tax.  This will in turn create an incentive to firstly, actively seek to minimise the volume of waste generated and secondly, reuse and recycle waste materials. 

Whilst SWMPs are a legislative requirement in England, they can still be used to highlight continued improvements in reducing the volume of waste sent to landfill in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting. In addition, for those projects in England under £300k and all those in Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland, adopting SWMPs is considered best practice and shows a degree of commitment to diverting waste from landfill and saving money in the process.

Site Waste Management Plans Guidance for Construction Contractors & Clients - Voluntary Code of Practice (with links to Launch Presentations) can be found on the Constructing excellence website:

http://www.constructingexcellence.org.uk/resources/publications/view.jsp?id=2568


 

Guidance

There are a variety of organisations that have produced guidance on SWMP's: