Construction and demolition waste
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What is construction waste?
Construction waste specifically is "materials resulting from the construction, remodelling, repair or demolition of buildings, bridges, pavements and other structures."
What if I produce construction waste ?
The construction sector accounts for more waste than any other part of the UK economy and its also the biggest generator of hazardous waste. This has significant social and environmental impacts. Furthermore as costs of waste disposal continue to rapidly increase it is important for all waste producers to maximise resource efficiency.
Waste from construction and demolition projects is not classified as municipal waste and is not the responsibility of the Council. As a business you have a legal 'duty of care' over your waste to make sure you dispose of it safely. This page provides advice for dealing with waste from construction sites. For more detailed information contact the Environment Agency on 08708 506 506.
The scale of the problem
The construction industry accounts for less than 10% of GDP yet produces over a third of all the waste in the UK. Every year the sector produces over 90 million tonnes of waste. Around 13 million tonnes of this is materials which are bought and delivered to construction sites but never even used!
Site waste management plans
New Regulations came into force April 2008 making Site waste management plans (SWMP) compulsory for all construction projects in England costing over £300,000. A SWMP records the amount and type of waste produced on a construction site and how it will be reused, recycled or disposed.
Guidance on producing site waste management plans is available from the DEFRA website (follow the link below).
Halving waste to landfill
WRAP has developed a voluntary agreement with the construction industry which aims to halve the amount of waste sent to landfill from this sector. Advice and case studies are available from the WRAP construction website (follow the link below) and from the attached best practice guidance document.