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Building out waste
Plan for your project’s waste with a waste management plan (WMP)
“Building out waste” refers to designing and building with the intention of minimising or eliminating waste in the construction process.
If you’re planning a construction or demolition project, there are many benefits to building out waste. By thinking about materials and where surplus/waste materials go before you start, you can reduce your build costs by reducing what you spend on landfill disposal. It’s good for business, and the environment.
Construction and demolition waste is the largest category of waste to landfill locally and nationally – at 50% of all waste to landfill. Much of it can be recovered and reused, and by keeping it out of landfill we extend finite landfill capacity, meaning less needs to be invested in building new landfills.
Case study
Naylor Love – Diverting construction waste
Naylor Love reduces operational costs by diverting over 90% of its construction waste away from landfill.
Otaihanga Zero Waste is leading the way as one of the first construction and demolition recovery and material reuse sites and it’s located right here in Kāpiti.
A waste minimisation plan is the written record of what must be done to achieve the goals you have set for managing construction waste.
Get your immediate and extended team on board, along with any contractors or visitors you’ll have on site. Work with your locals/regulars and suppliers to specify the best materials and plot out your purchasing and deliveries schedule.
Building is one of Kāpiti’s largest business sectors so get your suppliers on board to support your waste plan goals and outcomes, whether it’s for NZGBC Homestar or Greenstar certification; specified by clients; or for your own maximising of resources.
Free WMP templates:
Your WMP should include:
- A list of the types of waste materials expected from the project
- Goals and objectives for waste reduction
- Options for eliminating, reducing or recycling waste
- Ways to measure and track progress
- Roles and responsibilities for waste management on site
During the project:
- Select a plan that works for you and your team.
- Champions lead – Give one person authority and responsibility for the plan – even if reducing waste is a team effort.
- Estimate the types and percentage of waste that will be produced (e.g. on average 13% of plasterboard used on a job is wasted).
- Work out what bins you’ll need for those waste types and when during the build you might need them (working with forward-thinking waste service providers can make this easier).
- Set reduction goals by key types of waste.
- Determine options for reuse and recycling (working with Otaihanga Zero Waste or Zero Waste Ōtaki can make this easier, too).
- Measure your progress and record it.
- Celebrate your wins – Friday shouts are a great way to reward your team for their hard work.
- Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect. The main thing is to make a start and record the data. You can always make changes as you go.
At the end of each project, review the WMP with your team to see what worked, what didn’t, and what could be improved. Compare the actual waste numbers with your goals and objectives and celebrate what you’ve achieved. Share it with your clients, and Council.
Then, if necessary, update and adjust the WMP for your next project.
A consistent approach to waste management and minimisation
Councils in the Wellington region adopted a consistent Solid Waste Management and Minimisation Bylaw in 2021. One of the requirements of that bylaw is for construction and demolition waste management plans. Building pathways for materials and products to be diverted, recovered and reused takes time, effort and external funding.
Kāpiti Coast District Council fronted up seed funding – via waste levy, not from rates - for an operator to build capacity for C&D waste priority materials. Via a prior year’s waste levy grants competitive process, funding was awarded to a joint venture between Localised and Sustainability Trust that independently operates Otaihanga Zero Waste.
We're taking a knowledge-share approach with this part of the waste bylaw, to help builders, developers, and specifiers ‘build out waste’ for the benefit of the community, their own brand equity, and it keeps existing landfills operating for longer.
Useful links
- Otaihanga Zero Waste – book in for a site visit to meet the team
- Construction and demolition waste diversion cost benefit analysis
- REBRI national resource recovery map