Site Waste Management Plans

The Government's Waste Strategy for England 2007 identifies the good potential to increase resource efficiency in construction and reduce waste. The construction industry is a major source of waste in England, using the highest tonnage of solid material resources in any sector, over 400 million tonnes. The construction, demolition & excavation (CD&E) sector generates more waste in England than any other sector, and is the largest generator of hazardous waste, around 1.7 million tonnes. By comparison, the sector accounts for 9–10% of GDP.

New Regulations came into force on 6th 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. 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

The Regulations will not apply to projects planned before 6 April 2008 as long as the construction work begins before 1 July 2008.

The purpose of SWMPs

SWMPs aim to address two key issues:

1. improving materials resource efficiency, by promoting the economic use of construction materials and methods so that waste is minimised and any waste that is produced can be re-used, recycled or recovered in other ways before disposal options are explored; and
2. reducing fly-tipping, by restricting the opportunities available for the illegal disposal of waste by ensuring compliance with existing legal controls and providing a full audit trail of any waste that is removed from the construction site.

Although it is a legal requirement to write and implement a SWMP, the greatest cost savings are likely to be achieved as a result of the consideration of materials resource efficiency which will be a necessary part of the preparation, before the SWMP is drafted.

Read a copy of the The Site Waste Management Plans Regulations 2008 on the Office of Public Sector Information website.

You can also download the following publications relating to SWMP’s below:

• Site Waste Management Plans - Non-Statutory Guidance, April 2008 (pdf 116kb)
• Site Waste Management Plans - Non-Statutory Guidance and Tools Currently Available, February 2008 (pdf 61kb)
• Site Waste Management Plans - Cost Benefit Analysis, February 2008 (pdf 800kb)