Barriers to Sustainable Building Contractors

Abstract:

This research seeks to investigate Ecological Construction barriers implementation to SMEs (Small and Medium sized Enterprises) in the UK.

The undertaken investigation usually emphasises the Creation/Construction phase, known as the RIBA Plan of Work Stage K. Research implies that obstacles to the execution of Sustainable Engineering were most visible during this stage. Through an extensive literature review the primary barriers delivering themselves to SMEs have been identified at the start of this stage of research.

Later, these barriers will be questioned through the research of the literature obtained and the most noteworthy will be scrutinized in greater detail.

There were found to be six key obstacles to be looked at while implementing Ecological Construction Techniques in the Creation/Construction phase of any project, these are as follows:

1. Cost
2. Time
3. People
4. Technology
5. Market
6. Legal

Even though progress in the united kingdom construction industry as a whole is demonstrating great potential and it is showing a reliable line of progression (however still lagging behind other Europe such as France, Germany and Spain), execution by SME development firms is limited and poor. This is mainly due to the actual fact that sustainable engineering is known as to be expensive, complicated and time-consuming. It requires greater support from every party engaged including clients, suppliers, sub-contractors, federal government and local government bodies to achieve the goal of sufficient implantation.

Introduction

As the engineering industry is undoubtedly a main contributor to the current economic climate of the united kingdom, contributing 10% of UK GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and utilizes 1. 5 million people, the environmental impact of the industry is amazing; contributing 70 million tonnes of waste materials to landfills and an enormous 50% of energy produced is utilized by this sector.

(Addis, B. & Talbot, R. , 2001: 21)

It is projected that UK SMEs are responsible for around 60% of skin tightening and emissions.

(Marshall Statement, 1998)

It is also believed that 60% of commercial waste material and 8 out of 10 pollution accidents are brought on by this sector.

(Environment Company, 2003 Environment Firm, Business survey uncovers insufficient environmental awareness, Environment Action (2003) (37). Environment Firm, 2003)

Studies have found that SMEs tend to have low levels of engagement with environmental agendas.

(Hillary, 2000a)

Most of the literature available focuses on the larger engineering companies (LEs or Large Businesses), which is why the author hope to undertake a study of SMEs, particularly general contractors with significantly less than 50 employees. In 2004 the Division of Trade and Industry (DTI) conducted a study showing that there were 170, 000 construction contractors working in the UK which 93% of this figure employed less than 8 people.

"Initiatives by the building SMEs indicate that group is often overlooked and hence, they are really under-performed in comparison to larger structure companies".

(Sexton, M. G. & Barrett, P. S. , 2003a)

It is anticipated that the consequence of this enquiry can help the development industry to aid more medium and small construction companies in the execution of lasting techniques and rules suggested by the UK government.

This exploration is bound to SMEs which use 50 people or less, and also to the building site (known as Level K, the production/construction phase of your job).

Aims and Objectives

Aim:

How to get SMEs to implement sustainable techniques through handling time, teams and perhaps new ways of construction to maximise profit without having to police each individual contractor?

Objectives:

1. To uncover the most relevant strategies to sustainable construction practices at development and construction stage.
2. To recognize the current degree of understanding and execution, of sustainable building at the production and construction phase of a project.
3. To identify the key obstacles in incorporating lasting building and embracing new techniques involved in the construction process to SMEs.

Facility professionals building inexperienced for the first time could find that the procedure requires as much unlearning of old ways as it can learning of new ones. The procedure of building green forces facility professionals to take into account the design and structure process in non-traditional ways.

From built-in design to commissioning, nearly every step of the inexperienced building process is closely focused on how building elements fit alongside one another to enhance efficiency and sustainability.

The catch is that the process, at least the very first time, is more time and cost. As the strategies used may be much like justifying expenses in equipment improvements, justifying processes may be a bit more challenging. It's more difficult to pinpoint specific costs for more hours of design time.

There are a few simple sustainable ways of management for a contractor to utilise, and these cost keeping measures help maximise profit, here are some suggestions:

1. Make use of grants or loans or funding available for sustainable construction.

• Contact your neighborhood Power or Regional Development Company about local tasks and grants or loans.
• Employers recorded with CITB-Construction Skills can promise Training Plan or Short Duration grant to aid sustainability training.

1. Use recycled or ecological materials whenever you can.

• Give inclination to locally produced products.
• Crushed cement and brick may be used to replace major aggregates and prevent Aggregates Tax.
• Use timber only from sustainably maintained woodland - ask for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) timber.

1. Only order the materials you will need and store them properly.

• Plan in advance when buying materials.
• Work with suppliers/manufacturers to minimise and returning packaging and pallets.
• Store materials in a secure and safe area and keep liquids/sands away from drains.

1. Minimise street journeys to and from the site.

• Use local suppliers whenever we can.
• Plan deliveries to site: during the day time in home areas and at night and in city centres.
• If you have a truck, ensure it can bring a number of small materials to avoid unnecessary vacations to suppliers.

1. Separate and recycle waste materials then get rid of the remainder legally.

• Separate different types of waste products and mark storage containers clearly.
• Recycle whenever you can.
• Use registered misuse carriers and keep the paperwork.

1. Avoid causing pollution to land, water or air.

• Stop uncontrolled water entering or going out of excavations, especially run-off from globe works.
• Avoid spillages on site and clean up if injuries happen.
• Don't burn spend - recycle or dispose of them responsibly.

The UK administration has urged market sectors to defend myself against environmental measures on their own accord on the foundation that it'll be good for business, a qualitative research investigating the environmental strategies of small and medium-sized structure firms found that the views of owner-managers experienced little resonance with this 'win-win' approach. Respondents is probably not alert to the financial results to be from eco-efficiency procedures to be substantial enough to warrant the short-term investment in time and resources required to engage in them.

In addition, the market had not been indicating that product value could be increased or that clientele could be won by putting into action environmental best practice.

Respondents consistently outlined that the tremendous competitive stresses on small organizations made cost and acceleration of build the main priorities whilst environmental management continued to be a peripheral matter.

At the top of the resource chain, architects stated that whilst lip service was paid to sustainability issues within the industry, there is currently little in the form of environmental design developing in the UK, and sustainability tended to be always a peripheral issue in their own work. Although it was acknowledged that architects should be at the forefront of sustainability, most respondents noticed that it was difficult to force an environmental plan forward because clients tended to be motivated by commercial rather than environmental or sociable concerns. Most architects thus didn't promote environmental issues for fear of alienating clients, and environmental designs were only explored if it was expressly asked of these.

Overall the contractor cannot become environmentally friendly because the client will not want to designate certain techniques to the architect because they think it'll cost too much, they're more enthusiastic about the economic part and the architect doesn't want to identify sustainable techniques in case there is maybe excluding some clients.

These market dynamics were evidently creating a knock-on impact down the resource chain as builders perceived a low demand for ecological buildings and building methods, and for that reason weren't incentivised to boost their environmental performance or to identify themselves on environmental qualifications.

Suppliers wont stock things that are not being popular and that aren't being given.

How can the SMEs get these sustainable products then, without maybe having to travel to a specific supplier and appearance themselves, which makes it time consuming and not cost effective.

Respondents stated that the most common conditions for choosing products was price, as buying the cheapest comparative product was one method for builders to squeeze a income out of restricted budgets. Some contractors confess that they almost never considered the environmental effects of materials, and beyond the utilization of timber from sustainable sources, most weren't even alert to which materials might be greener than others. Information about environmental effects was thought to be difficult and time-consuming to acquire, and many respondents highlighted that building suppliers could do much more to encourage the utilization of renewable materials in construction, such as eco-labelling strategies to differentiate products with lower environmental effects.

The key issue for businesses in this research was that customers invariably focused on 'value for money' at the trouble of environmental concerns. Many architects were of the thoughts and opinions that there was not much of the business case for sustainable design to present to clients, who had been unwilling to pay the high quality for a far more sustainable building.

Respondents highlighted that there is little financial incentive to save energy on site as the mains electricity used was payed for by your client. Some felt that energy efficiency was more of a concern for designers than builders as it was in the end-use of an building that most energy savings could be produced.

However, most claimed that little was used again (apart from the odd expensive item such as certain slates and metals), because the price tag on keeping materials was often more than buying it new, once storage area and labour costs had been considered. Also, the used material was usually not quite to the specs required for the next job, so many builders sensed that it was just easier and cheaper to chuck it away. Recycling was likewise dismissed because of the management and labour time involved in ensuring proper throw away separation techniques:

"It takes too long. It influences the labour. I mean if I've acquired 10 labourers on site, I'm not going to bring another labourer in just to make sure that copper has ended there and plasterboard's there and metal's over there" (Contractor 4, 85 personnel)

Because small businesses are typically more concerned with short-term success than the long-term environmental effects of their business, eco-efficiency options may thus be turned down if the pay-back is not perceived to be immediate.

Objective 1: To Discover probably the most Relevant Techniques to Sustainable Building Practices at Creation and Construction Stage.

Following the Egan Survey the Government of the UK published "Building a Better Quality of Life" in 2000. Inside this publication it has been suggested a few key issues for which may be found in the engineering industry:

• The re-use of existing building assets
• Designing for minimum amount waste
• Aiming for lean construction
• The minimisation of energy in construction
• Not to pollute
• Enhance and preserve biodiversity
• The conservation of water
• Respect people and the local environment
• Monitor and article in order to set benchmarks

In 2005 the Government printed "Sustainable Development Strategy, Obtaining the Future" that was an alternative to "Creating a Better Quality of Life".

This proposed the next four key terms:

• Sustainable communities
• Natural resources cover and environmental enhancement
• Climate change and energy
• Sustainable consumption and production

Environmental Influences:

The Environmental Agency tells us that the construction industry is responsible for:

• Using over 420 million tonnes of materials resources
• Converting 6, 500 hectares of land from rural to urban use per annum
• 13% of most materials sent to site go into the skip without ever used.
• 90 million tonnes of engineering and demolition waste products (three more waste than all homes in the UK combined)
• Responsible for 21% of UK's harmful waste
• 10% of the UK's energy consumption can be used in the move and development of development products and materials
• Due to building on flood plains 185, 000 commercial properties and 1. 85 million domestic homes are in risk of flooding which figure looks established to rise

Waste Management:

• Waste Segregation: Separating recyclable materials such as timber, clear plastic, plasterboard, hard-core, cardboard and basic waste material. Also materials such as concrete, bricks and blocks, rocks and slates can be utilized as filling up for streets, footpaths etc.
• Recycling: Waste material and Resources Action Program (WRAP) boasts that 30% of materials used on site can be recycled somewhere else at no extra cost. Recycled timber (off slashes) can be used in stud partition walling and can even be used in blossom plant bed linen.

Purchasing Policy

• with Suppliers: Packaging throw away and unused materials can be came back to the builders vendor and used several times over.

Energy Consumption

• Reduction: Simple steps like using energy efficient heating up equipment and lamps, supervising the utilization of mains electricity regarding to equipment requirements.
• Water Conservation: Where practical the utilization of low-flow normal water fixtures, rain water harvesting and recycling of grey water where health is not a priority.

Material Selection:

The focus because of this section is to identify products with a comparatively high sustainability credit score at no significant increase in capital cost over a traditional material option. Many modern building materials are now associated with environmental and health issues. Alternatives do can be found which eliminate several potential effects and risks to get rid of users, constructors, builders and traders.

Timber or Aluminium instead of PVC where possible.

Formaldehyde free MDF

• Insulation: Recycled cellulose insulation, Rockwool, Foamed cup. Solid Concrete with key aggregate Permeable pavements Cement with recycled aggregate (RCA) or glass
• Window Frames:uPVC Durable timber framed glass windows, renewable source without health influences from disposal of PVC. Twin glazed items with low emissive coatings (Argon crammed).
• Flooring:Ground Floor coverings: Solid concrete, hollow concrete elements with reclaimed aggregate/limestone. Hollow concrete uses less material.
• Solid Walls:Clay brick: recycled Bricks (recycled content 15-100%)/Reclaimed Bricks.

Reclaimed bricks can also assist in character requirements of refurbishments.

• Partitions: Could be built from recycled timber used in building. Timber quicker to erect and will save materials costs. Pitched Roof Plywood from non FSC MDF chipboard (low Development: formaldehyde), reduces carcinogens from standard chipboard
• Construction: Pitched Roof Reclaimed slates, tiles/Sedum (turf)/Fibre cement tiles.
• Covering: Turf can reduce metropolitan water elope. Renewable roofs typically previous 3x long as standard roof top.
• Plasterwork:Lime mortar re-absorbs some of the CO2 given off during the firing process when it packages.
• Sewers:Clay pipe can be recycled to make new pipe, brick and roof covering tiles.
• Paving:Concrete slabs with recycled content e. g. recycled glass. Reclaimed slabs and natural stone can be sourced free often paying only haulage costs.
• Semi Hard Paving:Paving Gravel, Lumber chippings/Recycled glass, sand. Timber chippings can be derived from off reductions in construction.

Local Sourcing of Materials and Labour:

"Obtaining construction materials from local outlet stores or from the existing site";

The use of locally sourced materials should be advertised when issues involve cost, embodied energy and appointment local persona requirements are considered. A local sourcing insurance policy costs nothing to put into action and requires no specialist expertise.

Locally sourced materials minimise the impact of fuel move costs/emissions and support the local economy. Stone, earth and timber (assuming it originates from a sustainable source). Salvaged materials from existing construction or demolition such as steel can be used.

This past abstract demonstrates that significant advancements in building sustainability performance may be accomplished at hardly any additional expense. These little cost increases also provide 'added value' anywhere else. For example, regarding sustainable buildings, in-use cost savings of gas for home heating can be generated over the life span of the building. With increased uncertainty over future energy costs, a very short repay amount of a sustainable strategy can be realised.

Necessities, Not Luxuries

Key to justifying many of these ostensible add-ons is never to view them as add-ons to begin with. Commissioning, for instance, is a crucial part of the inexperienced building process and a requirement for facility executives planning to certify their buildings with LEED, an internationally known green building qualification system. On traditional structure tasks, commissioning may be considered a luxury. But, corresponding to a report by the Country wide Institute of Building Sciences, commissioning a building can mean it will cost 8 to 20 percent less to use when compared to a non-commissioned building.

Objective 2:To Recognize Exactly the Current Level of Understanding and Implementation, of Sustainable Development at the Creation and Construction Stage of a Job.

The incentive to innovate among structure SMEs often starts with having a knowledge to seize an opportunity or a need to response to advertise, development or client conditions.

Her are a three motivational needs as detailed below:

• Survival: Project centered innovation concentrates more on survival of a company credited to the kind of market handled in by contractors.
• Stability: When success has been established firms can look then towards stabilizing and consolidating their position to ensure productive conditions within the medium term.
• Development: Once this stability has been gained the motivation necessary to exploit this becomes evident and the firm will begin to develop and expand.

When SMEs end up in survival good posture companies do not have a tendency to take just as much risks and are usually more alert to outgoing costs.

Not all businesses are want to grow in size indefinitely, companies want to stabilize at a sure that is compatible with the aspirations of the owner.

Innovation activities can be grouped into two areas, improving the success and the efficiency of the company, meaning making sure the company does the right activities and doing them well.

Adoption of new Enhancements:

This is dependant on several key capacities and motivations that happen to be time, financial, company's composition and people.

Time and Financial:

The dominant role of the contractor allows for quick decision making if need be meaning in an ever changing market modernizations in sustainability can continually be updated.

Due to a contractor's own resources a company will only bet on work relating to their own features in terms of types of work and size. Most would also choose to work immediately with clients as main contractors rather than just sub-contractors, this tends to limit hazards and costs which is typical of your survival good posture.

Company's Composition:

SMEs cannot manage to do as LEs do and also have numerous departments allocated to handle various tasks and responsibilities.

It is the work of many directors and owners to acquire information and knowledge for invention and also to gain business connections. Many directors find it hard to manage time for all of this, which could include attending trainings and workshops.

External Helps and Motivations:

These largely result from government procedures but are mainly befitting large companies and also have to be improved to suit the tiny and medium sized enterprise.

Market Network:

Rapidly shifting client demands and market conditions requires structure SMEs to entail themselves in a number of business's of varying complexity in order to provide knowledge and know-how with their own enterprise.

Access to these businesses is achieved through supply and client interactions, research organizations, professional associations and specialists.

Access to Technology:

Technology can be exploited to increase competitiveness among SMEs but this can only be effective when the data characteristics of the technology can be moved easily.

SMEs have a tendency to use technologies which can donate to the growth of the company, financially, efficiently, dovetailing into capabilities already possessed by the company. Technology that is out of that little league and that will require more effort to get risk, time, effort and money are usually shifted out swiftly and intuitively.

Objective 1:TO RECOGNIZE the Main Obstacles in Incorporating Sustainable Building and Embracing New Techniques involved in the Development Process to SMEs.

Key Obstacles to Sustainable Structure:

Facility professionals building inexperienced for the first time may find that the procedure requires just as much unlearning of old ways as it can learning of new ones. The functions of building inexperienced forces facility executives to think about the look and building process in non-traditional ways.

From involved design to commissioning, almost every step of the renewable building process is heavily focused on how building elements fit together to optimize efficiency and sustainability.

The catch is the fact the procedure, at least for the first time, is more time and cost. While the strategies used may be similar to justifying expenses in equipment improvements, justifying functions may be a little more difficult. It's more difficult to identify specific charges for more time of design time.

The Barriers to Sustainable Engineering have been labeled under six key headings:

• Cost
• Time
• People
• Technology
• Market
• Legal

These subsequent obstacles will be challenged and validated in the next chapter.

Cost:

Increased Structure Costs:

"There's been a perception by many engineering companies that ecological construction tactics may incur additional or perhaps higher capital cost"

(Cameron, R. , 2003; KDG, 2006)

The additional cost is normally related to additional labour hours essential to perform activities such as recycling and separation of misuse on site.

There is also the argument that ecological materials bring after higher search costs; this is the time spent looking for these "illusive" materials, and other connected costs like generating, calls etc.

All of the increase the total cost of a development and eat into a relatively already tight budget for the contractor and they are looked after as an unneeded and irrelevant price.

Many building companies are required to submit a low bid for a specific project, which happens by reducing building costs rather than increasing the value gained because they build sustainably.

This is also on the increase in the regions of project partnership, where a fixed price tender means top priority will get to the cheapest price somewhat than value for money.

Time:

Time is vital in any stage of any type of project, most particular in building assignments. As the term goes, time is money, and development developments are often under tight time constraints.

Slow progression towards a big change in attitude:

Because this industry is undoubtedly a big and strong market it entails so many specific players, meaning it becomes a whole lot harder to get everyone worried to find yourself in the same frame of mind and not to be just worried about just revenue.

There is a sense that there surely is too much effort included and learning new initiatives become too difficult compared to just continuing with the tried and trusted methods of known construction techniques already in practice throughout all engineering sites in the UK as of this present second.

There is also the idea that there surely is inadequate home elevators sustainable materials common, meaning getting access to manufacturers who source such materials becomes more intricate and making them prepared within the time constraint of an job becomes too arduous to make the endeavour for.

Training:

Larger building companies (LEs) will often have their own Research and Development departments but for SMEs, they can be more willing to count on directors to research new innovations. Directors also are relied upon to copy this knowledge and information to staff. Due to their already hectic workload, directors may find it difficult to create time apart for training programs, training seminars, and workshops involved with development initiatives.

Likewise because of limited personnel in small and medium corporations, it is frequently difficult to wait such time-consuming activities, or even to go to such trainings.

Without these regular meetings contractors could find it extremely difficult to determine business contacts.

Emphasis is more on short term performance and speed of construction:

As development companies are pressed on deadlines and short term maximisation of earnings they are generally thinking about traditional construction as they know from experience just how long a particular job will take and do not desire to be taking chances on new innovations and techniques that could run on much longer than previously thought.

The temporary characteristics of the development, along with short-term dealings with people means that the writing and transfer of information between clubs can result in be strenuous and intensely difficult.

(Sexton. M. G. and Barrett, P. S. , 2003a; CPN, 1997)

People:

Lack of Knowledge and Skills:

Most small companies don't have the resources to get access to information and acquire the data and the abilities necessary to partake in such improvements, or in some circumstances to research and research new alternatives and the huge benefits involved with such engineering.

Lack of motivation:

New legislations and systems is seen as off-putting or even while a danger to SMEs who may not be willing to improve with known traditions without substantial financial gain.

Poor Integration with New Technique:

Failure of communication between companies, sub-contractors, architects and clients may lead to difficulty of execution throughout a project.

Down to the littlest details like the parting of recyclable materials and where you can dispense certain products may cause disruption further down the road.

Short Term Interest:

Given the nature of the construction business quickness is of the fact, trying to get a building removed of a contractors hands as fast as possible is key and therefore, as many innovations have to be occurred within certain time limits and agreements are written up to enforce this, the contractor may have more pressing hobbies nearing the end of a job.

Technology:

Complicated:

Sustainable design may require MMC (Modern Ways of Construction), which means that the creating of major house elements in factories including panels (including ready-made walls, floor surfaces and roofs. Sections may also have wiring and plumbing already inside, making engineering even faster) and modules (ready-made rooms, which can then be pieced jointly to produce a whole house or level but are being used most regularly for bathrooms or kitchens, where all the fixtures are added in the stock; known as 'pods').

Both of these products require skilled workers to set up them, cranes and may require supplementary tools and machines to use and fix these prefabricated structures into position.

There is also a lack of knowledge of these new technologies. Where in fact the clients and the architects designate such methods but companies don't get the chance to try out these new systems.

Market:

It is generally felt that there is a lack of demand within the resource chain, this is generally because of the unfamiliarity from the costs and benefits.

Lack of Marketing for "Sustainable" Materials:

Sustainable materials are supplementary materials; recycle, reclaim and re-use materials, and there are currently no marketing advertisements or such information on these resources.

Waste materials are usually identified to be high-risk and a cheap solution to issues and are thought never to perform to as high a standard as primary materials.

These could also incur better search costs as they have got a far more dispersed location.

Dominance by Bigger Suppliers:

If a distributor is larger than the contractor then your distributor has more vitality and is able to dictate to the supplier how the operations engaged should be completed. And as is with the case of most SMEs this is almost always the situation.

If the supplier does not have a specific product which a small contractor requests then, generally, the company doesn't wish to oblige the builder as the supplier is more interested with the Les, and therefore the SMEs are often overlooked.

Legal:

These aspects include federal legislation, policies, and planning types of procedures.

Limited Enforcement:

Standard of inspections has repelled many companies who may have been interested in building sustainably.

The companies themselves would have to motivate for higher benchmarks just to compete with other companies who only have to abide by the existing requirements lay out in the building regulations.

Often a less strenuous understood and low budget material is given over a far more sustainable product, such as reclaimed aggregates.

As there is also a low level of enforcement directed at smaller companies the potency of the individuals for sustainable implementation has been undermined.

Lack Support from Local Council:

Due with their insufficient experience in the given field, and knowledge local planning officials are believed not fully outfitted to uphold the necessary innovations, specs and requirements necessary for implementation. Because of this reason planning approvals are more likely to take an awful lot longer and possess a better chance of getting declined for authorization as the authorities are unclear of the particular development entails.

Lack Financial Support from Government:

Due to cost being truly a major hurdle any financial support from federal legislation would be greatly treasured. The federal government has taken the initiative through grants or loans but more could be achieved so the contractor can see a specific profit immediately as this will need the conversion from traditional ways to ecological design.

Tax credits on recycled materials currently won't suffice the extra man hours necessary to implement proper waste products segregation on site.

Requirements for the Removal of Barriers:

• Increase support from government
• More grants or loans made available
• Information writing between all parties in the supply chain
• Increase in the amount of exemplar projects published

The landfill taxes (chargeable by weight):

The landfill taxes is currently chargeable by two rates; the lower rate of 2 per tonne pertains to inactive (or inert) waste products. Inactive misuse is concrete, stone and rock and roll rubble, however if this waste becomes contaminated with active waste material (anything that will decompose in the bottom including timber, newspaper, domestic throw away etc. ) it will be charged by the standard rate, which is 18 per tonne.

The Administration has stated that would increase by at least 3 per tonne in future years, on the path to a medium or long-term rate of 35 per tonne.

In addition to the landfill taxes the landfill operator will charge for the operational costs of the land load site.

The Symonds Group Report (Oct 2003) approximated that Engineering, Demolition and Excavation (Compact disc&E) waste is at the number of 2. 5 to 3. 75 million tonnes per yr.

13% of most materials delivered to site go into the skip without ever used.

This had done little to reform the waste products practices of contractors because of the recognized cost and labour involved with recycling and reusing material. Most respondents sensed that any rises in the duty would just encourage journey tipping, that was claimed to have grown to be increasingly prevalent as less scrupulous builders attempted to keep down costs.

EHS (The Environment and Health Service) believed that 33% of CD&E was re-used and recycled and the rest was disposed of, either to legal landfills and exempt sites or illegally.

Whilst it happens to be unfashionable to advocate legislation due to the onerous bureaucracy it entails. Legislative sanctions are evidently one way to be certain that the surroundings becomes a top business goal for small enterprises. Regulation makes the environmental obligations of businesses clear from the start, and will be offering SMEs the security of a 'level learning field' so that environmental good practice is not regarded as a hazard to competitiveness.

The amount of Building, Demolition & Excavation waste going to landfill can be reduced by:

• Greater use of trim and fill
• Crushing and re-use of masonry and cement on site
• Some construction misuse can be re-used in concrete or as highway base materials
• Ensuring surplus materials are considered for recycling off-sit
• Segregating waste

Conclusion:

Whilst it happens to be unfashionable to advocate legislation due to the onerous bureaucracy it requires, the inescapable summary from this study is that it might be the only path to truly effect change within the SME sector. Legislative sanctions are plainly one way to be sure that the surroundings becomes a high business top priority for small business owners. Regulation makes the environmental obligations of firms clear right away, and will be offering SMEs the security of an 'level taking part in field' so that environmental good practice is not regarded as a menace to competitiveness.

Regular inspections and 'spot-checks' would go a long way towards stimulating SMEs to view their environmental tasks as a legitimate business concern, alternatively than an optional extra if indeed they find enough time.

One way to raise the success of eco-taxes is to combine them with the varieties of infrastructure developments that make it simple for firms to become more environmentally proactive. For example, the landfill tax may become more effective in incentivising contractors to minimise misuse when there is perceived to be a convenient and cost-effective recycling infrastructure. In the same way, the aggregates tax might be more successful if green substitutes are recognized to be readily available. Developing marketplaces for green materials (such for recycled timber, the use which is against building regulations) will be essential to encouraging more ecological forms of structure. Clearly, the government has a major role to try out not just in encouraging firms to lessen their environmental impact, but in making it easy for them to do so.