Anyone intending to carry out a construction project in England costing more than £300,000 is now required by law to prepare a site waste management plan (SWMP).
The Site Waste Management Plans Regulations SI 2008/314, aim to help prevent the illegal disposal of waste by ensuring that those responsible for construction projects know the destination of waste removed from their site and that the waste is being managed responsibly by registered waste carriers.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has now published guidance to assist all those affected by the introduction of SWMPs. It is targeted at anyone planning and/or carrying out construction activities as well as those required to regulate and monitor compliance with the SWMP system.
The guidance sets out the underlying purpose of SWMPs to improve materials resource efficiency by promoting the minimisation, re-use, recycling and recovery of construction waste and to reduce fly-tipping. As well as providing information on the legal obligation imposed by the SWMP Regulations, the guidance sets out how a SWMP should be drafted and what it should record. It also highlights the cost benefits and resource efficiency savings that can be made.
