A new voluntary code could help save the industry £100 million a year, and reduce the amount of waste material it produces. Each year the construction industry produces around 92 million tonnes of waste, including an estimated 13 million tonnes of unused material. The new guidance tells building firms how to use materials more efficiently, re-use and recycle.

DTI research shows that use of this guidance could help the industry save around 20% of its materials. The DTI is aiming to sign up at least 50% of the top 2000 contractors in the UK. The impact this code would have, in the aggregates sector alone, is estimated to be in excess of £100m a year.

The Site Waste Management Plans (SWMP) guidance includes a checklist of key topics for consideration and data sheets which list waste materials and how they should be disposed. The voluntary code of practice will be distributed through a series of seminars.

Source

Construction Manager

Postscript

The code will also be available online through a number of websites: www.dti.gov.uk/construction/sustain; www.defra.gov.uk; and www.constructingexcellence.org.uk