Site Waste Management Plans Help Businesses Win Contracts, Despite the Recession

A survey of UK construction SMEs conducted by NetRegs.gov.uk has shown a big uplift in businesses bucking the UK's longest recession by using Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) to help them win new business.

The annual survey, conducted in October, revealed that the number of businesses using SWMPs who believe they have improved their environmental credentials and helped them gain new business, has increased by 30% over the last year.

The findings support the results of a NetRegs.gov.uk survey of large construction business earlier this year, which showed that 95 per cent of them would give preference to subcontractors who can prove their green credentials, when awarding work.

The October survey, of over 600 UK-based construction businesses, examined attitudes towards environmental responsibility, and opinions on Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs), which became a legal requirement in April 2008 for construction projects in England with a cost of over £300,000.

Debbie Chatting, Strategic Marketing Manager at NetRegs.gov.uk, comments: "This is further proof that good environmental performance helps the bottom line, as well as the environment. It's great to see that small to medium-sized construction businesses are responding to the marketplace demand for environmental improvements by using SWMPs, and are seeing financial success as a result. The industry needs to think long term and take a proactive approach to environmental responsibility now, and not use the recession as an excuse to ignore it. Creating and using a greener approach on a daily basis will pay dividends to construction businesses in the long run."

The survey also shows that awareness of SWMPs has grown significantly, with over 80 per cent of respondents now aware of the legislation, compared with just 49 per cent in 2008.

Nick Sandy, Director at construction company ST8 Limited comments: "I have used SWMPs numerous times over the last few years and am convinced they are a positive thing. Not only have they made us more aware of the waste we produce, they also help us save money and win business. At ST8 we encourage the main team to recycle all materials which could be sold. Not only do SWMPs save us money but they also ensure that tradesmen tidy up after themselves. We can't let the bad economic climate excuse us from our environmental responsibility; we still need to recycle and to manage our company properly. The NetRegs Simple Guide to SWMPs provides a great source of information in plain English that is useful and easy to digest."

Peter O'Connell, Policy Manager at the Federation of Master Builders, who worked with NetRegs.gov.uk to conduct the survey, said: "With the industry deep in recession and even weak recovery not expected until sometime in 2011, it is more important than ever to ensure that you are doing all you can to minimise waste. Having a Site Waste Management Plan can make financial sense for projects under £300,000, keeping you legally compliant with other legal duties on waste disposal, and help you to avoid fines and court costs. A SWMP will also identify opportunities for recycling and selling-on waste materials which can save and even make money, and it will help you to make your materials go further, improving your competitiveness when tendering."

NetRegs.gov.uk offers a free, simple guide to SWMPs, which has already been downloaded more than 64,900 times. In addition, free monthly email updates are available for construction businesses to keep them up to date on any changes to environmental law, by visiting www.netregs.gov.uk and clicking on the 'Sign up' logo.

For further information about Site Waste Management Plans or to download the guide, visit www.netregs.gov.uk.