Construction Industry clients are reminded that the Site Waste Management Plans Regulations 2008 came into force on 6 April 2008. In accordance with these Regulations anyone intending to carry out on one site a construction project with an estimated cost greater than £300,000 must, before work begins, prepare a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP). SWMPs apply to all aspects of construction work, including preparatory work such as demolition and excavation, and record the amount and type of waste produced on a construction site and how it will be reused, recycled or disposed of.
The Regulations are intended to:
- encourage the use of materials and methods of construction that produce the minimum amount of waste;
- increase the amount of construction waste that is recovered, reused and recycled, thereby improving materials resource efficiency; and
- prevent illegal waste activity by requiring that waste is disposed of appropriately, in accordance with the Waste Management Duty of Care provisions.
The Regulations do not apply to projects planned before 6 April 2008 provided the construction work commenced before 1 July 2008.
Tools to assist in developing and implementing a SWMP and guidance can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/topics/construction/pdf/swmp-toolkit.pdf.
Partner Note
The Site Waste Management Plans Regulations 2008 can be found at http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20080314_en_1.