Information on Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs)

In 2005, the Government published the Clean Neighbourhood and Environmental Act which included the provision for legislating for SWMPs. Following a consultation conducted by Defra in 2007 on draft SWMP regulations, as of 6 April 2008, it is a legal requirement for all construction projects in England over £300,000 to have a SWMP, with a more detailed plan required for projects over £500,000.

These plans are designed to encourage better waste management practices, improve environmental performance, reduce the cost of waste disposal and reduce waste crime such as fly-tipping. It is estimated that a fly-tipping incident occurs every 35 seconds which costs approximately £45 million to dispose and clean, £5 million in enforcement and £50 million cost to landowners per year.

Both local authorities and the Environment Agency have the power to enforce SWMP implementation and the Code for Sustainable Homes already requires the mandatory use of a SWMP.

The SWMP regulations and supporting documents can be downloaded from the Defra website.

Our interactive online SWMP and waste measurement tool: SMARTWaste Plan

BRE have designed a free software tool for preparing, implementing and reviewing a SWMP.  This tool called SMARTWaste Plan includes an integrated waste measurement tool (updated and improved version of SMARTStart).

SMARTWaste Plan will guide you through all the stages of creating and completing a SWMP and enable you to measure the waste generated by your projects. There is the option to use online interactive pages to create your SWMP or to use a downloadable word template. We recommend using the online version which provides enhanced features through its linkage to the online waste measurement tool, enabling greater functionality and reporting features.

NEW! SMARTWaste Canada

If your business is operating in Canada, please be aware that there is a new version of SMARTWaste designed specifically for Canada. Please visit www.smartwastecanada.com and e-mail info@smartwastecanada.com for further details.

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