Auckland Construction Waste Impact

DID YOU KNOW?

• Construction and demolition waste represents up to 50% of all waste generated in NZ.
• On average, 4.5 - 6 tonnes of waste come from an average 3-bedroom house build.
• It would take approx. 30 years of taking out your weekly household rubbish to equal the same amount of waste.

The impacts of Auckland construction waste vary from economic to environmental. Our list is designed to help Auckland builders consider the outcomes of their construction waste.

PROJECT COSTS
Most construction waste consists of new materials that your company bought. Plasterboard and wood-based products make up most of the waste material. Reduce your waste and reduce your costs.

ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS
Despite modern landfill management improvements, there is still pollution to land and water from waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
Here's an example. In many countries, including the UK, plasterboard is classified as hazardous waste and must be specially disposed of or recycled. That's because plasterboard releases harmful Hydrogen Sulfide once buried in a landfill.

ECONOMIC COSTS
Who foots the bill for establishing, operating, and maintaining Auckland landfill sites? The Auckland ratepayers.

SOCIAL COSTS FROM LANDFILLS
Who wants to live near a landfill? The noise, dust and traffic pollution have a considerable effect on local communities. Auckland is quickly running out of land to create more landfill sites.

DO THE RIGHT THING
Over 75% of building waste is recyclable. Is your Auckland skip bin hire company dumping recyclable building waste straight into Auckland landfills? Ask them.

GROW YOUR BUSINESS
Let the public know you minimise waste to protect the Auckland environment. Here are some ideas.

• Provide some social media and web content explaining your company's waste management decisions.
• Display a prominent sign on your site displaying your company's actions.
• Take the opportunity to separate your company from the competition.

 Get Your Auckland Building Business on the Route to Sustainability
Green Gorilla divert more than 75% of incoming Auckland construction and demolition waste from Auckland landfills. Our service is not hard on your company. It's hassle-free and requires no extra effort on your part. Put your waste into a Green Gorilla skip bin, and we will separate your waste. Then depending on the building waste, it's either recycled by Green Gorilla or by one of our partners.

Contact Green Gorilla today for Auckland Recycling & Waste Solutions.

DO CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES CONTRIBUTE TO AUCKLAND WASTE?

Auckland Council estimates construction waste is the most significant single waste stream, with around 40 per cent of total weight going to landfills. This doesn’t include the rubble and concrete that go to clean fill and managed fill sites. Generally, construction and demolition waste is still dumped straight to landfill. This is common across most of NZ. Remember that waste disposal is controlled by each local authority, not the government, so there is no obligation or regulation to discourage this behaviour.

ARE AUCKLAND CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES AWARE OF THE ISSUES?

There is some awareness but generally, the message doesn’t seem to be as much uptake as befits the issue. There is a massive opportunity for the construction industry to take responsibility and make a major contribution to the well-being of the New Zealand environment.

RECYCLING BUILDING WASTE

Talk to Green Gorilla and divert more than 70% of construction waste from Auckland landfills. Your construction recycling and waste collections are easy with Green Gorilla. We collect and separate construction waste in Auckland. No extra time or effort is required with a Green Gorilla construction waste diversion service.

WHAT HAPPENS TO CONSTRUCTION WASTE AT GREEN GORILLA?

The waste is run through our Construction and Demolition Waste Processing Facility. Here we separate recyclable materials such as timber, plasterboard and metals from landfill waste. Our wood chipping operation diverts treated and untreated wood for use as biofuel and animal bedding and landscaping product. The plasterboard processing plant successfully separates gypsum for use in horticultural and agricultural sectors. Metals are sent to specialist metal recycling plants for processing.

WHAT ARE GREEN STAR AND HOMESTAR?

• Green Star is an internationally-recognised rating system for the design, construction and operation of commercial buildings and fit-out.
• Homestar assesses a house, apartment or multi-unit development against several categories including energy, health and comfort; water waste and materials.

Green Gorilla can provide waste disposal reporting necessary for achieving either certification.