A construction waste solutions programme funded by Waitematā Local Board has diverted 24,600kg of waste from landfill in the past eight months.
“From small renovations to large developments, construction is a big industry in our area,” says board chair Genevieve Sage.
“This programme is incredibly beneficial to help keep waste out of our landfills, and has even played a role in our very own civic space project in Ponsonby.
“It is a major step towards achieving one of the key initiatives in our Local Board Plan which is to encourage communities and businesses to reduce, reuse and recycle.”
Auckland Council Waste Solutions is working with contractors WasteXpert to run the programme, giving advice to seven different commercial building projects in the board area.
“Construction waste is a huge problem. It’s approximately 40% of Auckland’s annual landfill contribution,” says Jean-Luc Ellis, co-founder of WasteXpert.
“A large quantity of that is concrete and timber, both of which are recyclable or reusable, so there’s a really big push to make a change.”
Jean-Luc sees the programme as an opportunity to engage with a receptive audience in a difficult area in Auckland, in terms of the types of sites.
“When you’re looking at Ponsonby, Westmere, Parnell, or the city centre, they’re sites that have no space, and typically the system is that one bin rocks up which leaves very little opportunity for them to divert for reuse and recycling.”
Projects can save on costs by diverting materials from landfill too, with reuse and recycling generally being a cheaper alternative.
“There absolutely is a big financial benefit if it’s done properly,” says Jean-Luc.
“A good example is reuse – where there’s an opportunity to reuse timber or donate it out then you’re saving on logistics and waste disposal charges by doing that.”
Some community recycling centres will take excess construction materials for free if it’s in good condition and meets certain criteria, as opposed to paying a few hundred dollars per tonne to tip.
Jon Morgan is also on the WasteXpert team and when he’s visiting sites, he’s always looking for opportunities where there are reusable materials.
“Builders are great problem solvers and want to understand how to manage waste better. WasteXpert is providing them with a simple roadmap for their waste diversion,” says Jon.
“Before a build starts, a lot of these builders are relocating homes and using those materials from the deconstruction. For example, there might be pavers onsite that can be reused. Reuse is near the top of our waste hierarchy, so we really want to push that.
“I think the community themselves are really on board and want to see this happen. It’s encouraging, I think we’re encouraging each other.”
If you’re planning demolition or construction work in the near future, some helpful information can be found at FightTheLandfill.co.nz, a website which WasteXpert has helped contribute to.
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