As National Construction Week draws to a close, Scotland's construction firms are being urged by Envirowise to take early action on waste by putting in place Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs).
The statistics alone indicate the scale of waste going to landfill, with Scotland's 12,000 plus construction businesses throwing away as much as 20 per cent of their building materials completely unused every year.1 This needless wastage in materials and costs should be a clear motivation for companies to address the issue of construction waste. As a first step, Envirowise is encouraging construction companies to adopt SWMPs.
SWMPs take the form of a written document which gives a company evidence of compliance which can be used to demonstrate the fulfilment of contractual obligations – as well as the opportunity to highlight good practice initiatives. Other benefits include reduced waste disposal costs, cleaner and safer sites, and cost cutting through lower raw materials investment.
Alan Hendry, Envirowise Business Manager for Scotland, 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 the issues of site waste now, Scottish construction businesses could reduce both costs and environmental impact. Already, Glasgow City Council have made savings of over £150,000 by reusing 18,000 tonnes of material from demolition - during a new project to build 3 new primary schools. Clearly, a common sense approach to site waste management can go a long way to reducing construction waste to landfill.
"Envirowise can provide specialist advice on SWMPs and companies may even be eligible for a free on-site resource efficiency review."
Alan Hendry added: "Scotland produces over 6 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste every year. This equates to over one tonne of waste per person – per year2. However, reducing this staggering amount of waste is one of the easiest ways to save money – and this is where SWMPs can help."
Construction companies interested in addressing their resource efficiency, including the implementation of SWMPs, can call the confidential Envirowise Advice Line on 0800 585 794 or visit the Envirowise SWMP page.
- Figures sourced from the Office of National Statistics and the DTI
- Figure sourced from the Seda website
Issued on behalf of Envirowise by Harrison Cowley. Media Contacts: Laura McKenzie or Jenny Ingram at Harrison Cowley on 0131 226 2363.
Notes to Editors
About Envirowise
Envirowise delivers a valuable programme of confidential advice to Scottish businesses. This advice enables businesses to improve profitability and reduce environmental impact.
Independent, practical and proven guidance is available through the Envirowise Advice Line, information resources and on site visits* delivered by a national team of expert advisors. Each solution is driven by the specific needs of individual firms, to genuinely improve their business practices, profitability and competitiveness. Since 1994, Envirowise has helped UK industry save over £1billion.
The Envirowise programme is available to any Scottish business, completely free of charge.
For more information visit the Scotland pages or call 0800 585 794.
* Please note that different services are available in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – please contact our Advice Line on 0800 585 794 for more information on whether you are eligible for a site visit.