Managers of construction projects must plan for waste
Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) became a legal requirement in England on 6 April 2008. They will apply to all construction projects costing £300,000 or more that start on or after this date, and any construction business that isn’t prepared could risk breaking the law.
A SWMP sets out how building materials, and resulting waste, are to be managed during the project. This will ensure that building materials are managed efficiently, waste is disposed of legally, and that material recycling, reuse and recovery is maximised. A survey for Defra suggests that a SWMP could deliver reductions in waste of 10 to 60 per cent and reduce costs by between 2 to 5 per cent of the overall project value.
It is the client’s underlying responsibility to ensure the SWMP is written, followed, and updated during the project. Although the plan needs to be written at the construction design stage, it is a requirement of the SWMP regulations that it is maintained and updated during the whole project. Therefore, the client or principal contractor is also responsible for updating the plan with the site’s day to day activity.
There will be two types of SWMP depending on the cost of the project. A project costing between £300,000 and £500,00 will follow a simpler template than those over £500,00 which will require much more detail.
The SWMP regulations are intended to be self regulating. The onus is on the client or principal contractor to ensure the SWMP meets its regulatory requirements. They must also ensure all those involved in the project act in accordance with the plan and current waste legislation. Both the Environment Agency and local authorities have power to enforce these regulations by giving fixed penalty notices or moving to prosecution.
NetRegs has produced a free, downloadable, simple guide to SWMPs, which has already been downloaded by over 9000 construction businesses.
Policy Manager at the Federation of Master Builders, Peter O’Connell, said: “Site waste is an important issue for the whole industry. The tools and email alerts that NetRegs has created already help construction businesses, but the service is even more invaluable now that the law is in force.’
To download all the latest information about SWMPs and find out how you could save yourself time and money, as well as enhance your reputation, visit:
