The construction industry is responsible for an estimated 100 million tonnes of waste annually – around a third of UK waste. And with associated legislation becoming increasingly tighter and waste disposal costs escalating – companies in the sector simply cannot afford to sideline the issue of resource efficiency.
For example, it is estimated that 13 million tonnes of completely unused building materials are discarded as waste every year. This is equivalent to 5.4 billion bricks, costing an estimated £855 million and enough to build 490,000 houses. As much as 13% of the waste produced by the South East's 33,000 construction businesses could therefore comprise of unused building materials.
The key to improving this situation is for companies to develop an ongoing programme of waste management and embedding this activity within all of their procedures. One way this can be achieved is through the implementation of a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP), which could become a legal requirement next year for all construction projects over £200,000 in value.
Originally developed as a DTI Voluntary Code of Practice, SWMPs provide a useful structure for a successful waste management programme, encompassing all elements – from pre-planning through to project completion. In addition, the proposed Code for Sustainable Homes will require developers to prepare a SWMP as a minimum requirement for waste. At Envirowise we are advising companies to take the opportunity to act now and reap the substantial rewards.
Katie Plummer, Envirowise Regional Manager for the South East, said: "While the use of SWMPs is currently voluntary, local authorities are increasingly requiring evidence of a commitment to waste management when considering planning applications.
"By investing time in addressing site waste now, local construction businesses could help reduce the potential cost and impact of compliance. And it could also contribute to stronger relationships with both customers and suppliers, who have their own environmental objectives to consider.
"Envirowise can provide specialist advice on SWMPs and companies may even be eligible for a free on-site resource efficiency review."
So what are the benefits for construction companies? Well, as SWMPs take the form of a written document, any company that implements an SWMP is armed with evidence of compliance. This can be used to demonstrate the fulfilment of contractual obligations, between the contractor and client or developer – as well as the opportunity to highlight good practice initiatives.
The Plans are highly adaptable and can be modified to suit the specific needs of a company or individual project. Focusing largely on on-site operations, all SWMPs will, as a bare minimum, identify:
- An individual responsible for resource management
- The types of waste that will be generated
- Resource management options for these wastes
- The use of appropriate and licensed waste management contractors
- A plan for monitoring and reporting on resource use and the quantity of waste
Ideally, the SWMP should be drafted at the pre-planning stage of a project. This gives companies the opportunity to extend the SWMP to encompass associated processes such as materials procurement and design, and as a result make further efficiencies. By engaging with suppliers and designers at this stage, the SWMP can become a mechanism for cutting down on the materials that become waste from the outset. In this case, the SWMP could become an effective tool for facilitating effective two-way communication, as waste issues are fed back to suppliers and design teams from project to project.
As with any similar programme, the success of a SWMP lies in the level of buy-in. The development of the SWMP should always take place in partnership with the wider project team, and be embedded within company policy. Once buy-in is established throughout the supply chain, the company becomes open to the full level of savings that are available.
The Envirowise programme provides UK construction companies with free, independent and confidential advice and support on practical ways to increase profits through resource efficiency. Companies interested in addressing resource efficiency, including the implementation of SWMPs, can access help via a number of different avenues. Confidential advice can be sourced via the Envirowise Advice Line on 0800 585 794. Alternatively, there are useful publications for construction companies, available on the website on the Construction pages.
The South East Centre for Building Excellence and the South East England Development Agency will be managing a series of workshops where speakers from Envirowise and DEFRA will be explaining the implications of SWMPs, the first of which takes place at the Holiday Inn Guilford on 30th November. For further information please call Tina McGeachan on 07834 546 378.