CEW ran one of its most successful events on Tuesday to update construction professionals on the CL:AIRE Definition of Waste Code of Practice  – find out what was discussed.
Constructing Excellence in Wales (CEW), Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and CL:AIRE held a session that looked at the various scenarios for material reuse in the CL:AIRE Definition of Waste Code of Practice (DoWCoP), the operational boundaries and its interaction with other industry initiatives.

CL:AIRE or Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments is something everyone -  builders, developers, architects and engineers need to gain a knowledge of and the delegates were provided with an understanding of the headline considerations when using, or working alongside the DoWCoP.
The DoWCoP provides a clear, consistent and efficient process which enables the reuse of excavated materials on-site or their movement between sites. It can be used by individuals involved in development activities ranging from general earthworks to complex land remediation projects and is applicable to both Greenfield and Brownfield sites. The DoWCoP is summarised in CL:AIRE Guidance Bulletin 3 available to download here

The DoW CoP enables:

• the direct transfer and reuse of clean naturally occurring soil materials between sites
• the conditions to support the establishment/operation of fixed soil treatment facilities
• the reuse of both contaminated/uncontaminated materials on their site of origin and between sites within defined Cluster projects

When successfully applied the DoWCoP can bring about significant cost savings to those who have formerly used waste management exemptions and is a quantifiable indicator of sustainable development.

Since its introduction in September 2008, use in the industry has steadily grown. This has primarily been driven by increasing landfill costs, a growing emphasis on sustainable development (including earthworks) and the removal of familiar and widely used waste exemptions. It is also regularly being referenced in Planning Permissions and waste policy documents

CL:AIRE keep a Register of Materials and services which might fall within the DoWCoP. This helps to link material holders with projects requiring materials.

CL:AIRE hold  training courses enabling attendees to be confident in using or working alongside the DoWCoP.  Attendance on a recognised training course is also one of the requirements for individuals to register as a Qualified Person. There may be a possibility of holding this course in Cardiff dependent upon numbers. If you would be interested in attending such an event then please contact Constructing Excellence in Wales to register your interest.