Waste
Site waste management plans
New Regulations came into force on 6 April 2008 making Site waste management plans (SWMP) compulsory for all construction projects in England costing over £300,000. A SWMP records the amount and type of waste produced on a construction site and how it will be reused, recycled or disposed. More...
The Regulations aim to:
- increase the amount of construction waste that is recovered, re-used and recycled and improve materials resource efficiency
- prevent illegal waste activity by requiring that waste is disposed of appropriately, in accordance with the waste duty of care provisions
Fact - The construction industry is a major contributor to the UK economy, but this comes at a cost. Each year of the 400 million tonnes of solid materials used, only about two-thirds is added to the building stock - the rest (approx 120 million tonnes) is consigned to landfill.
Government is also concerned about the small but increasing amount of construction waste that is illegally dumped or fly-tipped. As waste controls tighten there is an increased risk of companies inadvertently employing illegal waste operatives.
Waste legislation and licensing
Duty of care - waste industry
13 June 2008 - The duty of care and waste carrier/broker registration regimes are currently being reviewed. The second public consultation was launched on 13 June 2008: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/waste-controls/
The Waste Strategy for England 2007 sets out a blueprint for waste prevention and re-use, landfill diversion and investment in waste infrastructure. To ensure the strategy is a success, illegal waste activity must be effectively tackled. Illegal waste activity, predominantly fly-tipping is a significant threat to the environment, as well as the quality of life of the general public.
WRAP - Halving Waste to Landfill - Policy Drivers
The construction industry is responsible for some 120 million tonnes of construction, demolition and excavation waste (CDEW) every year – around one third of all waste arising in the UK. An estimated 25 million tonnes of this waste ends up in landfill without any form of recovery or reuse.
Recognising the environmental and economic impacts of these levels of wastage and landfilling of material resources, the Government – industry Strategy for Sustainable Construction has established the following overarching target for construction waste in England. More ......