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Construction and demolition waste

Waste from construction and demolition (C & D) activities is a large source of waste in New Zealand, yet is often overlooked when people think of waste.

C & D waste may represent up to 50 percent of all waste generated in New Zealand, 20 percent of all waste going to landfill and 80 percent of all waste going to clean-fill.

C & D waste is a complex waste stream, made up of a wide variety of materials including concrete, plasterboard, wood, steel, brick and glass. Much C & D waste can be reduced, re-used and recovered, dramatically reducing the amount thrown away.

C & D waste has been identified as a priority waste in the New Zealand Waste Strategy 2002. This strategy has set a target of 50 percent reduction in construction and demolition waste being disposed of to landfills by 2008.

The Ministry for the Environment is currently working on a number of programmes to reduce the amount of C & D waste being produced. The Ministry has developed a range of practical tools for people looking to reduce waste, and save money in disposal costs.

Ministry for the Environment’s current work programme

The Ministry is working on a number of initiatives to reduce C & D waste, in line with the New Zealand Waste Strategy. These initiatives focus on providing tools and resources for the construction and demolition industries, and promoting these tools to other industry sectors.

The Ministry C & D waste work programme currently includes:

  • Increasing awareness of the Resource Efficiency in Building and Related Industries (REBRI) guidelines (Link to REBRI project section as per below) and promoting their use to the construction and demolition Industries
  • Encouraging principles of resource efficiency in industry training qualifications (e.g. architecture, engineering and carpentry courses)
  • Running workshops for large construction or demolition firms, based on the REBRI guidelines
  • Developing case studies using the REBRI guidelines. These case studies  are available at REBRI Case Studies
  • Stimulating market development for recovered C & D waste. Reports investigating market development can be found in the additional information section
  • Facilitating an industry based steering group to oversee C & D waste reduction initiatives. This steering group is made up of industry representatives, and provides feedback on Ministry for the Environment initiatives
  • Working to promote the recovery of C & D waste through resource recovery parks
  • Investigating the possibility of using product stewardship to address some construction materials that contribute to the waste stream.

Further information

You can learn more by reading our construction and demolition waste Q&A.

Last updated: 19 June 2008