International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

43.0 Site Waste Management Plans -
International
43.1 Outline of Policy
Construction and demolition site management plans are a tool used to address
issues of resource efficiency on site. Waste Management Plans 751 (WMPs) aim to:
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� encourage effective waste management on construction and demolition
sites through adequate planning, monitoring and reporting of waste in order to
increase prevention, re-use and recycling; and/or;
� reduce illegal transportation and disposal (fly-tipping) of construction and
demolition waste.
Construction and demolition site management plans can be implemented as a
mandatory requirement or as a voluntary option. Given the discussion focuses solely
on policy, countries which have set up a voluntary site waste management planning
systems are excluded from the following discussion.
Waste management plans are required before the project begins and are working
documents that need updating throughout the project. The system is basically a
waste data planning and reporting requirement. It is normal for document templates
to be provided, either by the enforcement body or a trade body, which the contractors
can choose to use, or alternatively they can submit the required information in their
own format. As part of the data collection, there is usually a central database to which
contractors must submit recorded quantities of C&D waste materials generated and
disposed of over a particular time period. Alternatively information received from the
contractors will then be input to a database by the enforcement body, thereby
creating an up-to-date source of C&D waste data. Enforced reporting promotes
foresight and planning prior to the project in order to minimise and recycle site waste.
In some countries, reporting on greenhouse gas balances is also tending to support
the use of secondary materials rather than primary ones.
43.2 Where Has the Policy Been Applied and Why?
There is a clear trend for Waste Management Plans to become policy following the
implementation of a voluntary agreement, which is often made between national or
local government and the construction and demolition construction and demolition
industry. This is still currently the situation in many countries, for example, the
Netherlands, but evidence has been found to show that WMPs have been made
751 Throughout this document Waste Management Plans are generally referred to as WMPs, although
in country specific examples they cited their country-specific name.