The UK government must clearly define what constitutes as waste before the construction sector can meet its waste disposal targets, says the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).
According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the construction industry generates more than 100 million tonnes of waste each year of which 20 million tonnes end up in landfill. The government wants the construction industry to halve the UK's total construction waste to landfill by 2012.

The CIOB says it wants a review of inert waste regulations that will lead to the effective and efficient re-use of secondary raw materials to enable the construction industry to reduce its dependency on landfill. The CIOB says despite the ambitious target, the government has failed to address two key issues for the UK construction industry - the need for clarity on the definition of waste, and the availability of a comprehensive series of Soil Guideline Values (SGV's).

From April 6, 2008, the Site Waste Management Plans (SWMP) became a mandatory requirement in England. To provide some clarity for UK construction professionals on the new SWMP law, the CIOB has teamed up with WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), to produce an online broadcast on implementing SWMPs.

The aim of SWMP is to help construction firms identify waste minimisation and management opportunities and meet the government's construction waste target.

Throughout the broadcast, construction professionals can access industry guidance such as the WRAP SWMP template, good practice guidance and recycled content toolkit, to help the industry improve its existing waste management processes.

Michael Brown CIOB deputy chief executive said: 'We wanted to give CIOB members, the industry, and the wider public, guidance on compliance with the new law; information about best practice and exemplars of SWMP's in action. But we also felt that it was important to identify the challenges that need to be considered when you use an SWMP, and really show the financial and social benefits that can come as result from introducing a plan.'

You can view the online broadcast at SWMPbroadcast