REDUCE WASTE, SAVE MONEY
UPDATE: IN REGARDS TO THE FIRST LINK TO WASTE LEVY CHANGES, IN THE SOUTHERN LAKES WE ONLY HAVE CLASS 1 LANDFILL AND THIS IS WHERE OUR C&D WASTE GOES AND WHAT CHARGES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH IT. TO SEE MORE ABOUT THE CHANGES, CLICK HERE.
Did you know that the waste levy increased this year for construction and demolition (C&D) waste? It's scheduled to continue to increase each year as well. You can view the waste levy changes here.
There's approximately five tonnes of waste generated per new home build. The good news is that much of this C&D waste can be reduced, reused or recycled, limiting wastage and saving on costs!
Here’s how to apply the three R’s in hierarchy.
1. Reduce
Reduce waste in the first place through good design, planning and onsite work practises. It’s at the early stages that there is the greatest opportunity to ensure waste reduction is an integral part of any project.
Some examples of this include using prefabricated and precut components wherever possible, avoiding over ordering of materials, and the use of construction methods that allow disassembly and facilitate the reuse of materials.
2. Reuse (or donate) materials in good condition
Reusing is the next best way to reduce waste, so before tossing all of your existing materials in a skip to be sent to a landfill, try reusing or donating them. And if you don’t have a use for them yourself, why not put them on CivilShare - the marketplace app for users to buy, sell, trade, and share resources. In Wānaka you can always chat with Wastebusters or the likes of the Wānaka Community Workshop to see if they'll take your left overs.
3. Recycle what cannot be reused
A large portion of C&D waste can be recycled if it can’t be reused. Timber and rubble are two of the largest sources of C&D waste in our district, and many times the both can be sent other places other than the landfill. Furthermore, recycling is much cheaper than sending those items through the skip.
Imagine all that cleanfill, cardboard, gib board, scrap metal and other materials taking up space in your skip that can easily be recycled via the transfer stations and save you precious dollars!
The bottom line is with so many ways to limit the amount of C&D waste going to landfill, putting even a few strategies in place can dramatically limit wastage which is not only good for the planet, but also an opportunity for higher profitability. The less you have to throw away, the more money you save on materials and disposal costs.
For practical tips on how to apply the 3 R’s, check out the comprehensive BRANZ Resource Efficiency in Building and Related Industries (REBRI) resources here.
