Doug Norman / Alamy
Managing waste on site
Site waste management plans are a mandatory requirement in England on construction projects worth more than £300,000.
Plans should identify the volume and type of construction and demolition waste and demonstrate how off-site disposal of wastes will be minimised and managed. These plans have a central role in achieving waste minimisation at the site and building scales.
The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has launched a template which firms can follow to ensure compliance. Major improvements in materials efficiency are possible without increasing cost. Opportunities exist for minimising the overall creation of waste through:
Free software developed by BRE is also available to implement and review Site Waste Management Plans.
Photo by Mike Norris
Cardiff International Sports Village
The on-site development of the Cardiff International Sports Village was steered by a SWMP. The Plan identified a project waste target for off-site disposal of 3,800 m3, but managed to surpass this target with an actual total of 3,500m3 disposed of (including 850m3 of unforeseen waste).
Given the scale of contaminated soil on site this is a particularly impressive figure. All soils were treated and re-used on site eliminating disposal to landfill and the requirement for clean stone and therefore substantially decreasing cost.
Priority: plan for sustainable waste management
Tags: waste, buildings and spaces
CABE and Urban Practitioners
with the cities of Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield