Site Waste Management Plans and the Code Outline Who is WRAP? Why reduce waste? Who’s doing what? What constructors can do What support is available Dr Mervyn Jones, WRAP

WRAP’s seven programmes WRAP’s construction focus: Waste minimisation and management Materials recycling Procurement - (Recycled Content)

Materials resource efficiency Overall material consumption by construction industry (>400 Mt per year) M tonnes Overall waste generated (>150 Mt per year) As stated previously, construction is one of the biggest users of materials in the economy, consuming approximately 420 million tonnes of materials each year. It also generates some 106 million tonnes of inert construction, demolition and excavation waste each year, only half of which is currently recycled or reclaimed back into construction. And an additional 20-30M tonnes of non-inert non-hazardous waste with very low recovery rates. Use of construction products and materials that have above average levels of recycled content will help improve this situation. Quantity of construction and demolition waste generated (~100 Mt per year inerts) controlled waste (~20 Mt per year) Waste construction materials that are recycled / re-used (~60 Mt per year)

Materials efficiency as part of sustainable construction Sustainability goals Green Guide Demolition Protocol Energy Materials Water Material selection Waste management Ecopoints Use less material Waste avoidance and minimisation Efficient use of finite natural materials The 3 major areas where a construction project can improve its environmental impact are efficient use of energy, water and materials. This slide shows the different dimensions of materials efficiency. This diagram depicts the 2 main aspects of materials efficiency: - reducing the use of finite natural resources - reducing the amount of waste Recycling both reduces waste volumes going to landfill and, provided the sector uses products/ materials with recycled content, substitutes for virgin materials. According to WWF, we need a two-thirds’ reduction in consumption of fossil fuels and virgin materials to achieve a sustainable and globally equitable level of resource use – termed One Planet Living. Material selection – i.e. which specifications used and which specific products fulfil these specifications. These two elements are a similar but different and are managed in different ways. Tools such as the Green Guide to Specification, are designed to help in selection of specifications that have low environmental impact. Once the design specifications have been determined then it is possible to further enhance resource efficiency of the project by ensuring that the specific products used to fulfil the specification have higher levels of recycled content or are from a sustainably managed renewable source. High levels of recycled content can come through use of onsite or local aggregates and demolition materials, or from use of ‘new’ products that use recycled materials as feedstocks. Waste management – this includes: Designing out waste wherever possible (e.g. use of off-site manufacturing) Good site practices, with careful storage and management of waste - Segregation of wastes for reclaim or recycling (onsite or at a dedicated facility) Returning surplus materials for reuse Use local C&D waste / reclaimed products Return surplus materials Use products with higher recycled content Segregate, recover, reclaim and recycle Minimising environmental damage DTI Site Waste Management Plans Specification of materials with low enviro. impact RC Toolkit

Code for Sustainable Homes (2006) 'Where the site waste management plan includes procedures and commitments that minimise waste generated on site in accordance with WRAP/Envirowise guidance' Now an additional credit in the Code (published Dec 2006) e.g. Ensure there is a site waste management plan in operation which requires the monitoring of waste on site and the setting of targets to promote resource efficiency. Construction EITHER waste Where the site waste management plan includes procedures and commitments that minimise waste generated on site in accordance with WRAP/Envirowise guidance (0.9 credits) OR Where the above is achieved and the plan includes procedures and commitments to sort, reuse and recycle construction waste either on site or through a licensed external contractor (1.8)

Waste Management Hierarchy Reduce the generation of waste Reuse materials for the same or a different purpose Recycle the materials to recover value Dispose, using the best practical environmental option Focus should be clearly on the potential to reduce waste before it arises. Also consider energy recovery (downcycling) as further option between recycling (added value) and disposal to landfill.

True Cost of Waste e.g. 8 cu yd skip Skip hire £120 The original purchase price and transportation costs of the materials + The cost of their handling, storage, transport and disposal The loss of income from not salvaging the materials e.g. 8 cu yd skip Skip hire £120 Labour to fill skip £163 Cost of materials put in skip £1095 TOTAL TRUE COST £1378 (Source: AMEC) AMEC – Darlington Study

Example – Concrete Block True cost of waste Extraction of raw material for block Delivered to point of fix Energy for block manufacture Broken whilst being laid Stored for transport Not just environmental impact in terms of landfill but also a significant reduction in carbon footprint when you consider the embodied energy at all stages Taken to waste container Delivered to site Disposed of Stored on site Embodied energy at all stages!

Potential savings Case studies have shown savings of: 3% of build costs 20% of materials on site 0.2% of total project costs saved through segregation (Source: Taylor Woodrow) 90%

Residential Waste Streams The top five waste streams for residential, in terms of arisings are: Concrete & bricks Packaging Timber Plasterboard Miscellaneous Miscellaneous = insulation, plastics etc

Waste per average newbuild house Typical 80m2 housing unit = 15.36m3 waste Approx 5 skips 9.6 tonnes £6,715 Per metre squared equates to: 0.192 m3 0.0625 skips 120kg waste £84/m2 95 Flats Social Housing Flats in Edinburgh savings of £4,210 per unit Beckenham (private sector) 75 homes savings of £7000 per unit

Waste Segregation Basic waste segregation into: General Waste (Non-hazardous) Inert Waste Mixed Metals (+ Hazardous waste separated out)

£90 £90 £0 £258 £90 Turn this into this….. SLIDE Build After 10 October 2007 EA will require all non-hazardous waste to be pre-treated before going to landfill – at its most basic this means separating waste to some degree. Clearly not all sites have this much space for waste containers but you do have to ensure safe provision for controlling waste on site but the slide illustrates two points: Think beyond standard 8yd skips in terms of range waste container solutions on-site – Big bags, wheelie bins (240, 660l) and 5, 8, 12, 26 yd skips. Separating waste can result in significant variations (and savings for materilas disposal. Consider: Simons Construction 3 skip principle or 20: 40: 60 rule: Total waste down 20% Waste cost of disposal down 40% Total waste to landfill by 60% £90 £90 £0 £258 £90

Waste Segregation e.g. Simons Construction Saving of £3,035 Housing development (30 skips /week): Mixed waste system = £4,970 Segregated waste = £1,935 Ca 60% saving e.g. Simons Construction Saving of £3,035

SWMP format 3 elements: Guidance covers: Guidance Checklist (35 questions) Data recording sheet Guidance covers: Waste and legislation Duty of care Waste minimisation Training materials Reporting requirements CHECKLIST Useful ‘aide memoir’ for developing and implementing a SWMP ‘Questions to consider’ based on project stages: Policy Procurement Project Planning Site Operations Provides clear audit trail and record for actions Data Sheet Example of data collection sheet Record the types and quantities of waste arising and their management Use to record and monitor performance and targets Record waste movements, helping with Duty of Care requirements Step 1 – Responsibility & development Step 2 – Types & quantities of waste arisings throughout the work programme/plan (setting targets) Step 3 – Waste minimisation & management options Step 4 – Compliance with Duty of Care Step 5 - Training of in-house and sub-contract staff Step 6 – Plan for efficient materials and waste handling & develop targets Step 7 – Measure waste quantities and types Step 8 – Monitoring against targets Step 9 – Review www.wrap.org.uk/construction/on_site

Message of SWMP Pre design stages Design stages Construction stages Part of early project planning process as a framework introducing other tool & requirements such as demolition protocol, duty of care etc Design stages The design is a key factor in influencing waste arising during construction. Encourage design team to reduce waste at source. Construction stages Implement on site at all levels of construction activity. Communication and training to all site staff, where necessary. Though it should be noted that SWMP is mainly looking at managing waste arising but this tool can be used as mechanism to source reduction of waste. The implementation of SWMP can be used decision making tool during pre design and design stages. This means that how design and initial planning can contribute to the effective implementation of SWMP by looking material specification and construction stages and potential waste streams. Many variables and restraints affect the design process that in turn affects the wastes arising and the resultant opportunities for designing out waste. Such issues include materials choice, complexity, communication and co-ordination.

Site Waste Management Plans: Current Practice Activity not carried out Activity carried out occasionally or at low level Activity carried out thoroughly on all sites SWMP is only a framework and it depends on how it is used as to how effective it can be in reducing waste and costs. If we make the assumption that addressing all the checklist questions will result in best practice we can see that even where they are being used, existing SWMPs typically fall well short in practice - There is clearly scope to improve beyond simply producing a SWMP as a tick box exercise

Housing Sector SWMP Support Sector specific suite of tools, requirements and guidance Provides model templates, requirements and clauses for incorporating into new and existing SWMPs based on: Standard practice Good practice Best practice In draft stage and will be published in April in Association with The Housing Forum, NHBC and the BRE

Housing Sector SWMP Support Specific elements include: Guidance for commissioning clients and housebuilders Template for developing a waste strategy Model clauses for Trade contractors Waste service providers Requirements for good and best practice implementation of SWMPs In draft stage and will be published in April in Association with The Housing Forum, NHBC and the BRE

Materials Resource Efficiency in Construction www.wrap.org.uk/construction