Construction site waste management plans: part 2
Introduction
Since 6 April 2008, Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) have been compulsory in England for all construction projects on one site with an estimated cost greater than £300,000.
For projects above £500,000, a more detailed SWMP will be required.
This article is in two parts. This is the second. This second article sets out all information relating to the document itself – who must draw it, who must complete it, how and so on. The first article introduces the legal requirements, exclusions, when one is required, what happens once the project is completed and so on.
This article will be useful reading for all constructions industry workers including projects clients, planners, developers, contractors and those procuring materials for construction projects in England.
Who should write and implement a SWMP?
The client or principal contractor, depending on the stage of the project. The client is responsible for ensuring that the plan is prepared before construction work begins, however, it may well be more practical for the contractor to prepare the plan.
The plan should then be passed to the principal contractor, who must update it as work progresses and ensure that workers on the site are aware of the plan and co-operate with it.
Briefly, the law requires you to:
- Estimate the amount and type of waste – for example, inert, non-hazardous, or hazardous - which you expect to be produced.
Show how you intend to improve efficiency in using materials.
- Set out how you intend to reuse, recycle and lawfully dispose of such waste.
- Update the SWMP during the project as necessary.
- Measure actual performance against estimates.
The SWMP document: What should be recorded?
You will need to forecast how much of each type of waste will be produced on site and how it will be managed.
You should also make decisions during the design phase, to ensure waste is minimized. These decisions should be recorded on the plan.
The plan also needs to identify the location of the site and the individuals responsible for preparing and updating it. A summary of the details required in the first draft of the plan is set out below:
Responsibilities
- The client;
- The principal contractor;
- The person who drafted the plan.
Description of the project:
- The location of the construction site;
- The estimated cost of the project;
- Materials resource efficiency;
- Any decision taken before the SWMP was drafted to minimise the quantity of waste produced on site.
This statement should provide information on any consideration given to materials resource efficiency in designing and planning the construction. This may include design specifications, the choice of materials used or method of construction, such as pre-fabrication. Preliminary records of decisions taken on materials resource efficiency may begin at the earliest stages of the project, and copies of related documentation can be used to help complete this section of the SWMP.
Waste Management:
- Describe each waste type expected to be produced during the project;
- For each, estimate the quantity of waste that will be produced;
- For each, identify the waste management action proposed (including re-use, recycling, other types of recovery and disposal).
As a minimum the description of waste types should be recorded as inert, non-hazardous
or hazardous, with further identification of individual waste streams allowing the proposed waste management route to be determined for each. The European Waste Catalogue system can assist with this process, and a table of the most common waste types generated on construction sites and their EWC codes is provided at Annex B. The quantity of waste should usually be specified either in m3 or tones. Tools are available to help in estimating waste volumes
Handling waste safely
- A declaration that all waste produced on the site is dealt with in accordance with the waste duty of care;
- A declaration that materials will be handled efficiently and waste managed appropriately;
- Both the client and principal contractor should sign.
When should a SWMP be updated?
A SWMP should be updated as often as necessary to give a current picture of how work is progressing against the waste estimates contained in the plan.
If by chance you find some error of law or fact in any Net Lawman information page, do please tell us. We should also welcome your suggestions for new subjects for information pages. These notes:
- Do not provide a complete or authoritative statement of the law;
- Do not constitute legal advice by Net Lawman;
- Do not create a contractual relationship;
- Do not form part of any other advice, whether paid or free.
