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The construction industry and the Department of Trade and Industry are backing a new campaign launched today by NetRegs (www.netregs.gov.uk) - a free and confidential website that provides practical, industry-specific guidance to small businesses on their environmental obligations.
Margaret Hodge MP, Industry Minister, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), Construction Skills, and Travis Perkins are supporting the ‘Site Waste – It’s Criminal’ campaign, aimed at raising awareness of Site Waste Management Plans (SWMP's). They are encouraging small businesses in the construction sector to wake up to using SWMP's by highlighting the financial and legal importance of preparing early for the plans, due to become a legal requirement in Spring 2008.
The ‘Site Waste – It’s Criminal’ campaign has been launched by NetRegs – set up by the UK’s environmental regulators – in response to its recent survey of small businesses in the construction sector across the UK. The survey found that nearly a quarter had never introduced any practices that prevent harm to the environment and more than half admitted that although they try their best, they could work harder at being environmentally friendly. Most concerning was that two thirds of respondents said they didn’t know what an SWMP is and were not aware that SWMP's could soon become a legal requirement.
Yet construction waste costs businesses money. The average eight cubic yard skip costs around £150 to hire and its discarded contents is worth, on average, over £1,200. In the UK it is estimated that 13% of all materials delivered to site go into skips without ever being used (Source: CIRIA).
The NetRegs campaign will provide construction businesses with a new online guide to explain SWMP legislation. Freely available through NetRegs ‘Site Waste – It’s Criminal - A simple guide to Site Waste Management Plans’ is packed with easy-to-understand, practical information and straightforward, downloadable data sheet templates that businesses can use as a basis to create their own SWMP. Regular updates on the legislation will be provided to businesses that register for NetRegs’ online e-alerts service.
By putting an effective SWMP in place, construction projects will be legally compliant, enjoy significant cost savings and play an important role in improving the local environment.
For further information about Site Waste Management Plans or to download the guide, please visit the NetRegs website by clicking here. Through the website small businesses can also register on NetRegs to receive its free e-alerts email service that provides updates about environmental legislation and guidance on how to comply.