BRISTOL, England, November 22/PRNewswire/ -- - 62% of companies are now aware of Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs), compared with just 34% in January 2007 - However, of those that are aware, 78% have not created an SWMP for their building site - 38% are unaware that SWMPs could soon become a legal requirement, compared with January's figure of 63% Following the announcement by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) that it plans to move forward with proposals to introduce Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) as a legally binding requirement in England by April 2008, a survey by NetRegs has revealed that although construction businesses are increasingly aware of SWMPs, they are still not putting them into practice. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is backing a campaign by NetRegs (http://www.netregs.gov.uk) - a free website that provides guidance to small businesses on their legal environmental obligations - to plan for the expected change in the law in April next year. NetRegs is encouraging small businesses in the construction sector to start using SWMPs by highlighting the financial and legal importance of preparing well ahead of April 2008. The survey follows a similar study conducted by NetRegs in January this year. Encouragingly today's results reveal that knowledge of SWMPs has increased to 62%, compared with 34% in the previous survey. A similar number of businesses are now also aware that SWMPs are likely to become a legal requirement soon. However, although awareness is increasing, businesses are still not taking the practical steps required to protect themselves. Of those businesses that know what an SWMP is, 78% have not created one for their building site. This is despite 63% being aware that such a plan could save them money.
