The New Zealand construction and demolition sector generates around half of the country’s landfill waste each year. With the typical new home build producing approximately four tonnes of waste, the need for change is urgent.
A collaboration led by 3R Group and Mitre 10 has developed Sustainability On-Site, a new industry-led initiative. It is designed to help residential builders reduce waste and adopt more sustainable practices through simple, practical solutions that can be easily implemented on any building site.
“Builders don’t need more complexity – they need solutions that work in the real world,” says Julie Roberts, Head of Sustainability at Mitre 10.
“Sustainability On-Site is about making it easy to do the right thing, with information that is accessible, effective, and grounded in the day-to-day realities of the job site.”
The initiative includes a series of short, videos hosted by builder Chris Donnelly and building apprentice Kiko Kuiti (@keeeks_builds), both of whom bring strong social media followings and real-world credibility.
Topics include creating waste minimisation plans, how to sort your waste, and how to get your team on board. The seven videos are also compiled in a YouTube playlist. 3R Group, which specialises in designing and delivering product stewardship schemes and sustainability solutions for clients.
It has brought together a diverse group of partners to co-create the series, including Gibbons Naylor, BRANZ and Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT). Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council provided funding to support the filming.
“This is a sector-wide issue that no one organisation can solve alone,” says Rosie Dawson Hewes, Sustainable Futures Analyst at 3R Group. “Builders want to do the right thing when it comes to the environment – they just need to know how.
“Sustainability On-Site is effective because it is not only simple to use, but it is also technically thorough. Our research shows that small, well-informed changes can have a big impact.:
Dawson Hewes reckons that by collaborating across industry, education, and local government, the group is creating a unified approach to change in the industry, built on technically correct, easy-to-understand information.
“This initiative helps put those changes into practice on building sites every day, comments BRANZ Behaviour Change Scientist and Sustainability Specialist, “ Casimir MacGregor.
“Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council have provided a joint Rethink Waste Whakaarohia grant to Naylor Love to increase industry engagement in construction and demolition diversion.
“We are thrilled to see that this has contributed to both useful resources and meaningful collaboration with NMIT to prepare our future builders for a more sustainable future,” says Naylor Love Environmental Manager, Emma Williamson.
Now available on the Mitre 10 Trade website and partner sites, the Sustainability On-Site tools are already being adopted.
∙ NMIT is integrating the content into carpentry training and assessments.
∙ Gibbons Naylor is using the series in staff and contractor inductions in both the Nelson/Tasman region and on Naylor Love sites throughout New Zealand.
∙ Mitre 10 and 3R held workshop sessions on how to complete Waste Management & Minimisation Plans at the LBP Education Day at BuildNZ
Councils are supporting regional trials to test and refine the approach. Beyond environmental benefits, the initiative highlights how sustainable practices can also save businesses money by improving efficiency and reducing waste-related costs.
