MoreThanWaste.com - Wastes management key to sustainable homes (14/12/2006)

"The Code for Sustainable Homes was launched as part of a package of measures towards zero carbon development, including an overarching consultation: Building A Greener Future on the shift to zero carbon; and a consultation on the draft of a new Planning Policy Statement: Planning and Climate Change"

The Code for Sustainable Homes, a new national standard for sustainable design and construction of new homes was launched yesterday by the DCLG. Waste management plays a key role in the code during the design and construction phase but also in the operational, i.e. when lived in, phase.

Amongst other benefits the new Code will promote the use of less polluting materials, and encourage household recycling, to ensure that the future housing stock has reduced environmental impacts.

The Code measures the sustainability of a home against design categories, including Category 5 - wastes, rating the ‘whole home’ as a complete package. The sustainability rating which a home achieves represents its overall performance across the nine Code design categories.

By integrating elements of the voluntary Code into new homes and obtaining assessments against the Code, developers will be able to obtain a ‘star rating’ for any new home which will demonstrate its environmental performance. Ratings range from 1 star (entry level) to 6 stars ('zero carbon' standard).

The homes rating will provide valuable information to home buyers, and offer builders a marketing tool with which to differentiate themselves in sustainability terms.

The Code has been launched to drive a step-change in sustainable home building practice. It is a standard reference for key elements of design and construction which affect the sustainability of any new home. It is destined to become the national standard for sustainable homes, used by home designers and builders as a guide to development, and by home-buyers to assist in their choice of home.

Another important factor, according to the document, is that sustainable homes can also provide us with improved overall wellbeing and quality of life.

The Code and Waste

The code lays down what is required for a 1 star entry level rating as a minimum requirement for wastes management, stating that:

In the construction phase the developer must "Ensure there is a site waste management plan in operation which requires the monitoring of waste on site and the setting of targets to promote resource efficiency.
For household waste storage the developer should provide "adequate space for the containment of waste storage for each dwelling. This should allow for the greater (by volume) of:
EITHER accommodation of all external containers provided under the relevant Local Authority refuse collection/recycling scheme. Containers should not be stacked to facilitate ease of use. They should also be accessible to disabled people, particularly wheelchair users and those with a mobility impairment
OR
at least 0.8m3 per dwelling for waste management as required by BS 5906 (Code
of Practice for Storage and On-site Treatment of Solid Waste from Buildings).

Recycling Facilities

Additional points can be obtained by the developer for the provision of recycling facilities. For example 1.8 points for 3 internal storage bins for recyclable waste with a minimum total capacity of 60ltr, no individual bin smaller than 15ltr, all bins in a dedicated position that is accessible to disabled people.

Alternatively the points can be doubled to 3.6 where full recycling facilities are provided. These would consist of 3 internal storage bins with a minimum total capacity of 30ltr, no individual bin smaller than 7ltr and all bins in a dedicated position that is accessible to disabled people In addition EITHER:

A Local Authority collection scheme for recyclable materials covering at least three streams of waste with sufficient space or the storage of the bins provided without stacking (within 10m of an external door) and which is accessible to disabled people OR
Where there is not a Local authority collection scheme for recyclable materials, 3 external bins with a minimum total capacity of 180ltr, no individual bin smaller than 40ltr and all bins to be in a dedicated position (within 10m of an external
door), which is accessible to disabled people.

Additional assessment points can also be gained by providing composting facilities for normal domestic non-woody garden, food and other compostable household wastes as well as for more sustainable management of construction wastes.

Code for Sustainable Homes

In addition to climatic effects emphasised by the Sterne Report, the construction and use of homes has a range of other environmental impacts, through water use, waste generation and use of polluting materials. These effects can be mitigated through the integration of
higher sustainability performance standards within the design of a home.

The Code measures the sustainability of a home against design categories, rating the ‘whole home’ as a complete package.

The design categories included within the Code are:

● energy/CO2
● pollution
● water
● materials
● surface water run-off
● waste
● health and well-being
● management
● ecology

Minimum standards exist for a number of categories – these must be achieved to gain a one star (★) sustainability rating.

Energy efficiency and water efficiency have minimum standards that must be achieved at every level of the Code, due to their importance to sustainability.

Apart from these minimum requirements the Code is very flexible allowing developers to choose which and how many standards they implement to obtain ‘points’ under the Code. To achieve a higher sustainability rating more points need to be obtained through the assessment.

General issues and guidance

Communities and Local Government (then ODPM) carried out a public consultation on the code between 4 December 2005 and 6 March 2006. The consultation document, summary of responses to the consultation and the Regulatory Impact Assessment can be viewed on the Communities and Local Government website.

The Code for Sustainable Homes - A step-change in sustainable home building practice (PDF 264 kb) is available from the Planning Portal.

Full Technical Guidance on how to comply with the Code will be published in April 2007.

The Code for Sustainable Homes was launched as part of a package of measures towards zero carbon development, including an overarching consultation: Building A Greener Future on the shift to zero carbon; and a consultation on the draft of a new Planning Policy Statement: Planning and Climate Change.


	Wastes management key to sustainable homes (14/12/2006) "The Code for Sustainable Homes was launched as part of a package of measures towards zero carbon development, including an overarching consultation: Building A Greener Future on the shift to zero carbon; and a consultation on the draft of a new Planning Policy Statement: Planning and Climate Change" The Code for Sustainable Homes, a new national standard for sustainable design and construction of new homes was launched yesterday by the DCLG. Waste management plays a key role in the code during the design and construction phase but also in the operational, i.e. when lived in, phase. Amongst other benefits the new Code will promote the use of less polluting materials, and encourage household recycling, to ensure that the future housing stock has reduced environmental impacts. The Code measures the sustainability of a home against design categories, including Category 5 - wastes, rating the ‘whole home’ as a complete package. The sustainability rating which a home achieves represents its overall performance across the nine Code design categories. By integrating elements of the voluntary Code into new homes and obtaining assessments against the Code, developers will be able to obtain a ‘star rating’ for any new home which will demonstrate its environmental performance. Ratings range from 1 star (entry level) to 6 stars ('zero carbon' standard). The homes rating will provide valuable information to home buyers, and offer builders a marketing tool with which to differentiate themselves in sustainability terms. The Code has been launched to drive a step-change in sustainable home building practice. It is a standard reference for key elements of design and construction which affect the sustainability of any new home. It is destined to become the national standard for sustainable homes, used by home designers and builders as a guide to development, and by home-buyers to assist in their choice of home. Another important factor, according to the document, is that sustainable homes can also provide us with improved overall wellbeing and quality of life. The Code and Waste The code lays down what is required for a 1 star entry level rating as a minimum requirement for wastes management, stating that: In the construction phase the developer must "Ensure there is a site waste management plan in operation which requires the monitoring of waste on site and the setting of targets to promote resource efficiency. For household waste storage the developer should provide "adequate space for the containment of waste storage for each dwelling. This should allow for the greater (by volume) of: EITHER accommodation of all external containers provided under the relevant Local Authority refuse collection/recycling scheme. Containers should not be stacked to facilitate ease of use. They should also be accessible to disabled people, particularly wheelchair users and those with a mobility impairment OR at least 0.8m3 per dwelling for waste management as required by BS 5906 (Code of Practice for Storage and On-site Treatment of Solid Waste from Buildings). Recycling Facilities Additional points can be obtained by the developer for the provision of recycling facilities. For example 1.8 points for 3 internal storage bins for recyclable waste with a minimum total capacity of 60ltr, no individual bin smaller than 15ltr, all bins in a dedicated position that is accessible to disabled people. Alternatively the points can be doubled to 3.6 where full recycling facilities are provided. These would consist of 3 internal storage bins with a minimum total capacity of 30ltr, no individual bin smaller than 7ltr and all bins in a dedicated position that is accessible to disabled people In addition EITHER: A Local Authority collection scheme for recyclable materials covering at least three streams of waste with sufficient space or the storage of the bins provided without stacking (within 10m of an external door) and which is accessible to disabled people OR Where there is not a Local authority collection scheme for recyclable materials, 3 external bins with a minimum total capacity of 180ltr, no individual bin smaller than 40ltr and all bins to be in a dedicated position (within 10m of an external door), which is accessible to disabled people. Additional assessment points can also be gained by providing composting facilities for normal domestic non-woody garden, food and other compostable household wastes as well as for more sustainable management of construction wastes. Code for Sustainable Homes In addition to climatic effects emphasised by the Sterne Report, the construction and use of homes has a range of other environmental impacts, through water use, waste generation and use of polluting materials. These effects can be mitigated through the integration of higher sustainability performance standards within the design of a home. The Code measures the sustainability of a home against design categories, rating the ‘whole home’ as a complete package. The design categories included within the Code are: ● energy/CO2 ● pollution ● water ● materials ● surface water run-off ● waste ● health and well-being ● management ● ecology Minimum standards exist for a number of categories – these must be achieved to gain a one star (★) sustainability rating. Energy efficiency and water efficiency have minimum standards that must be achieved at every level of the Code, due to their importance to sustainability. Apart from these minimum requirements the Code is very flexible allowing developers to choose which and how many standards they implement to obtain ‘points’ under the Code. To achieve a higher sustainability rating more points need to be obtained through the assessment. General issues and guidance Communities and Local Government (then ODPM) carried out a public consultation on the code between 4 December 2005 and 6 March 2006. The consultation document, summary of responses to the consultation and the Regulatory Impact Assessment can be viewed on the Communities and Local Government website. The Code for Sustainable Homes - A step-change in sustainable home building practice (PDF 264 kb) is available from the Planning Portal. Full Technical Guidance on how to comply with the Code will be published in April 2007. The Code for Sustainable Homes was launched as part of a package of measures towards zero carbon development, including an overarching consultation: Building A Greener Future on the shift to zero carbon; and a consultation on the draft of a new Planning Policy Statement: Planning and Climate Change.