Looking for easy wins to improve your sustainability? – Welcome to the WasteHub!
Exploring ways to minimize construction and building waste is a passion for Dr. Terri-Ann Berry, Co-Director of the newly formed Environmental Innovation Centre (EIC). Terri-Ann has partnered with experienced Master Builder Nigel Benton to develop practical environmental solutions for the construction industry. The team at the Environmental Innovation Centre (EIC) are writing a monthly column in Building Today on practical advice for managing construction waste and other environmental issues builders might come across.
Unlike some countries such as the United Kingdom, New Zealand (NZ) typically doesn't sort construction waste on-site (Hernandez, 2023). This creates a barrier to sustainable waste management and waste diversion on NZ construction sites and is reflected in the large amount of C&D waste which ends up in NZ landfills. According to Auckland Council (2018), 40% of landfilled waste in Auckland is C&D related, although we suspect that this number is much higher. About 4% of this is plastic materials (Ministry for the Environment, 2007). Our research indicates that about a fifth of plastic materials from construction are pipe offcuts, which can be recycled thanks to companies such as Marley and their project “Closing the loop on PVC and HDPE Construction and Demolition Waste”.
Figure 1: Mixed waste in skips
But how should you separate your waste? Doesn’t it take up a lot of room? How do I keep my site tidy? Where do I send these different wastes?
So many great questions!
At EIC, we often get asked, “How to?” rather than “Why should we?”. We love the “How to” question because we have spent the last decade or so working on construction sites, auditing waste and finding practical solutions. We also understand that builders need this to be as quick and easy as possible. Two years ago, we decided that our research would be more useful if we created a free-to-access, web-based resource to answer all the waste-related questions we have been asked (and more!).
On October 15th 2024, we will officially launch the WasteHub (www.wastehub.co.nz), which was co-created by the team at WasteXpert, and we hope will answer all of your waste questions.
Figure 2: Waste Hub landing page
Before we created the WasteHub, we wanted to find the best way to share important waste management information with the construction industry. We explored a range of technological options and gathered insights from builders at the "Building Out Waste" conference via questionnaires (Table 1).
Table 1: Technologies investigated and number of votes from Building Out Waste questionnaire
After gathering your feedback, the answer was clear: a website was the way to go. And so, the WasteHub was born. Backed by over 10 years of research into construction waste, the WasteHub is packed with resources designed to help you manage waste on your site more effectively. Here's what you'll find:
1. Training Video Modules
Featuring the one and only Nigel Benton from Registered Master Builders (in his very dry style!), these videos will walk you through everything from setting up your site to writing waste management plans. Ever wonder what types of plastics you're dealing with? Nigel’s got you covered – and he’s translated it all into "builder speak" from the more academic scripts written by EIC.
Figure 3: Nigel Benton
2. Signage
Let’s face it – sorting plastics on-site can be a headache. That's why we’ve created signage to make it as straightforward as possible. After five years of development, including testing symbols, translations, and lists, we found that simple, clear images work best for guiding plastic sorting.
Figure 4: Signage on the Waste Hub
3. Plastic Waste Catalogue
This catalogue lists the main types of plastics you’re likely to encounter on a new-build project, what they’re made of and whether they can be recycled. It’s based on four years of hand-sorting and auditing over six thousand kilograms of plastic construction waste — plastic doesn’t weigh much, but it certainly adds up in volume!
Figure 5: Plastic waste audit of a new build project
4. Waste Map
Wondering where to send all that waste? The Waste Map shows you where to go, highlighting waste providers across New Zealand who can take plastic (and other materials) for recycling or reuse.
The WasteHub was co-created with WasteXpert and co-funded by the MfE’s Plastic Innovation Fund, Marley, Mitre 10, Waste Management and of course, EIC!
With these tools at your fingertips, the WasteHub is your go-to for simplifying the sometimes-confusing world of construction waste. Let’s get building – cleaner, smarter, and more sustainably.
If you have any questions for the team that you would like answered in this column, please contact us.
References
Auckland Council. (2018). Auckland’s Waste Assessment 2017. Auckland Council.
Hernandez, G., Low, J., Nand, A., Bu, A., Wallis, S., Kestle, L., & Berry, T.-A. (2023). Quantifying and managing plastic waste generated from building construction in21 Auckland, New Zealand. Waste Management & Research, 41(1), 205–213.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X221105425
Ministry for the Environment. (2007). Targets in the New Zealand Waste Strategy: 2006 Review of progress (ME 802). Ministry for the Environment.