WASTE
Introduction
Approximately half of all waste that goes to landfill comes from the construction industry. It doesn’t have to be that way and it is easy to do much better. It’s mainly about awareness and communication. Set targets and communicate them to the entire project team.
The best time to think about minimising waste is at the early design stage. Designers can design out waste from the start.
Get the client and entire project team on board with waste minimisation and waste management goals and strategies. A good place to start is to use sustainable and natural materials. Knowing what materials can and can’t be reused or recycled will influence design decisions and material selections. Design with material dimensions in mind and think about modular sizes and sheet sizes etc.
Offsite or prefabricated construction can significantly reduce waste. Provide sheet layout drawings and cutting plans wherever possible to minimise offcuts. Efficiency in use of materials and reducing cutting or over ordering will save waste and costs.
Bear in mind, all materials that go to waste are purchased in the first place, so you are actually saving money by minimising waste at the design stage.
Design for deconstruction and think about end of life cycle.
Keep a current list of recycling operators in the site office for easy reference.
More information
REBRI waste management plan [WORD, 115KB]
REBRI construction on-site checklist [WORD, 159KB]
REBRI demolition on-site checklist [WORD, 158KB]
REBRI house builder's on-site checklist [WORD, 161KB]
On site Waste Management
Waste management is an important consideration in building. Each home constructed generates an average of 4 tons of waste. To change this, we need to consider the building products used in the construction of your home and the way we manage the rubbish on site.
● We recommend setting up on site recycling.
● There are recycling facilities in most towns who may be working with the construction industry already and are able to set you up with recycling.
● They may offer the service to come and collect recycling or you can arrange a drop off.
● Currently all cardboard, shrink wrap, paper, plastic containers #1 #2 #5, tin, steel, white polystyrene and scrap metal can be recycled.
● Introduce fadges for each type of recycling you can offer.
● Consider removing skips from sites as these promote waste. Add a rubbish fadge beside the recycling station for rubbish.
● Educate your staff and subcontractors.
● Before your contract starts, explain that you run recycling on your sites, and it is their responsibility to sort their rubbish and recycling.
● Stack your timber offcuts in graded piles. For example, you may have a pile of 140 x 45 H3, 90 x 45 H1.2, ply offcuts. You will never know when these will be handy for a dwang or some solid fixing in the framing to hang artwork, a mirror or a heater for example.
Some numbers on rubbish and recycling on various projects in Wanaka:
Recycling on average costs $1.12 per sqm incl gst.
Rubbish with no skips onsite average $3.15 per sqm incl gst.
Offsite Management of Polystyrene
EXPOL insulation products are made in New Zealand, using an environmentally responsible manufacturing process and are 100% recyclable.
98% of EXPOL insulation product is actually trapped air. As well as ensuring excellent thermal insulation properties this means the amount of EPS material required is minimal.
Expol and Mitre 10 have teamed up with Polystyrene Recycling Pods being installed nationwide.
https://www.expol.co.nz/blog/expol-recycling-cubes-are-going-great-guns/
For building or commercial polystyrene waste call EXPOL 0800863373 to find out about their collection and recycling programme.
Recommended Healthy Home guidelines for Waste are set out in the table below:
