Breakfast demolished while learning about recycling construction waste
Published on 05 March 2025
A bacon sandwich, and how to reduce the amount of waste to landfill produced by construction and demolition work, were on the menu at the Waitaki Resource Recovery Park this morning at the inaugural Waitaki Construction and Demolition Tradie Breakfast.
Councils across Otago are joining forces to tackle construction and demolition (C&D) waste, through a series of events around the region by engaging with building and construction businesses. Waitaki District Council has been working with Otago Regional Council’s Waste Officer, Anna Robinson, to minimise and manage waste, optimise outcomes, reduce costs, and increase the range of possible solutions available to individual communities.
Ms Robinson said C&D waste makes up at least 40% of materials ending up in landfill each year in Aotearoa New Zealand, even more if you include soils from construction sites. “Construction and demolition waste is a growing problem that will take collaboration across councils, construction industry leaders, and advocacy groups and councils to drive change. Options for designing waste out before building begins, along with managing C&D this waste, such as re-use, repurposing, and recycling, can save on costs through all stages of a build, while ensuring that best practice and consent requirements are met,” she said.
At this mornings session, attendees heard presentations from Breen and McBrimar, discussing how they began their sustainability journeys and linking to all of the 57 items that are recyclable at WRRT. Waitaki Resource Recovery Park.Trish Hurley, manager of the recovery park, spoke about the benefits of diverting this type of waste and how the recovery park can assist businesses looking to implement waste diversion processes.
The event was also supported by the Oamaru Lions Club, and the Waitaki Resource Recovery Park, and Council wishes to thank all attendees for joining us.
Future events will be advertised once they have been arranged.