Contractors are being urged to take early action on waste before the compulsory production of Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) comes into force in April 2008. SWMPs provide a structure for systematic waste management at all stages of a projects delivery.

The plans will become a legal requirement for all construction projects over £250,000 in April 2008. Currently unused building materials reaching millions of tonnes are being discarded as waste every year. The introduction of the SWMPs is set to have a major impact on the construction industry.

The plans mainly focus on on-site operations and primarily identify:

-          An individual responsible for resource management

-          The types of waste that will be generated

-          Resource management options for this waste

-          The use of appropriate and licensed waste management contractors

-          A plan for monitoring and reporting on resource use and the quantity of waste

Key benefits of a SWMP

-          Provides structure approach to management and re-cycling on site

-          Reduces cost of waste management

-          Increases profit margins

-          Better control of regulatory risks relating to materials and wastes on site

-          Compliance of contractual needs of public and private sector needs

-          Help deal with enquiries from the environmental regulator

Sharkey & Company Limited are fully committed to the adoption of SWMPs and we will be developing our own internal documents for recording and monitoring of this information over the coming months. These will become a requirement of all main contractors as the information we provide will go towards the production of the overall project SWMP.