A new and comprehensive NHBC Foundation guide and accompanying templates aims to help the house-building industry with producing and implementing site waste management plans (SWMPs). The guide offers extensive advice and examples of good practice, including how to comply with current legislation.
Site waste management is a key element of The Code for Sustainable Homes and has become a regulatory requirement with the implementation of The Site Waste Management Plans Regulations in April 2008.
NHBC Foundation has produced this guidance to simplify the management of site waste plans. With such a large proportion of materials ending up as waste the potential benefits, both financially and for the environment, are clear. Site waste continues to be of great interest to the industry with the costs of landfill, the potential for savings and latest legal requirements.
Andrew Gregory, Head of Construction Waste at Defra, commented: “I welcome this clear and comprehensive guidance which should allow house builders to get the most out of SWMPs and quickly see the positive effect they can have, both on their waste management and bottom line.”
To maximise effective waste management the guide ensures that all parties involved in the construction process, from clients through to trade contractors, understand their role and responsibilities in managing their site waste.
An effective SWMP can make a difference in tackling the issue of site waste, and addresses issues of waste in the supply chain and design process as a whole. At the design stage reducing the volume and types of materials specified can have a significant impact, as can efficient management of supply chains and contractors.
The comprehensive examples and supplementary templates will help ensure the effective development and operation of compliant SWMPs. It details standard practice (the minimum required to comply with Regulations) and also highlights what would be considered as good and best practice to enable builders to benchmark, monitor and improve their working practices.
The guide has been produced in partnership with WRAP (the government–funded Waste & Resources Action Programme) and is available on-line at www.nhbcfoundation.org
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The NHBC Foundation was established by NHBC in partnership with the BRE Trust to facilitate research and development, technology and knowledge sharing, and the capture of industry best practice in the pursuit of improved building standards for the new-build housing sector.
NHBC is the leading warranty and insurance provider for new homes in the UK. It was established more than 70 years ago as a non-profit distributing company. NHBC's primary purpose is to help raise standards in the new house-building industry and provide consumer protection for new house buyers. NHBC's ten-year 'Buildmark' warranty covers more than 80% of homes built in the UK and has protected more than 7 million homes to date.
The BRE Trust is a charity for research and education in the built environment. Its chief goal is to ensure earnings from the companies it owns deliver against its charitable education and research mission. BRE is one of the companies owned by The BRE Trust and it is commissioned to undertake projects by both public and private organisations.