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It has been progressively recognised that civic amenity (CA) sites have an important role to play in increasing recycling levels. However, very few studies have focused on improving the operations of CA sites in areas of relatively high socio-economic deprivation. This study, carried out during 2007 in Plymouth in the south-west of England, involved the refurbishment of an urban CA site with multiple operational problems that is situated in a neighbourhood blighted by high crime and high levels of social and economic deprivation. This paper reports on the refurbishment project and evaluates its success, focusing on operational efficiency, trade abuse and other misuse, access to the site and facilities, quality of the local environment. The study has clearly shown how a carefully planned refurbishment project can significantly improve the impacts of a civic amenity site in an area of high socio-economic derivation, with key outcomes including a reduction in waste arisings and enviro-crime; significant improvements in recycling rates, aesthetic impacts, access, health & safety; and an affirmation that a dynamic, flexible, integrated and multi-faceted approach is necessary in complex refurbishment projects of this nature.

The environmental impacts of the construction industry can be reduced through sustainable waste management (SWM). A substantial proportion of the responsibility for improving waste management practices in the construction industry falls on small-scale construction (SSC) firms operating on projects valued under £300,000. Through on-site waste audits and a postal questionnaire survey of SSC firms, we investigated key factors that affect waste generation on SSC sites. The study found a deep-rooted wasteful culture within the SSC industry. Soil and stones, wood and plastic were the major components of the waste stream. It is perceived that a considerable proportion of waste generated is unavoidable because of current working practices. SWM activities were undertaken infrequently by the majority of respondents, with the main reason being a commonly-held perception that SWM is not cost-effective. Considerable scope exists for improving waste management practices on SSC sites, with the most promising measures identified as being the introduction of stock control measures and the use of skips for segregation of specific materials.