Environment

We need a more sustainable construction sector. Find tools and guides to support your team's work towards reducing carbon and more sustainable construction practices.

Auckland Council has provided advice to help clarify how building waste should be managed:
The free collection of flood damaged household items does not extend to building materials. Please DO NOT put building material on the kerbside as it will then be classified as illegal dumping
The homeowner or builder needs to arrange a private collection of solid waste from sites. Builders need to understand their responsibilities and legal responsibilities for disposing of building waste. Disposal of solid waste from buildings(external link)
Any waste should be contained in some way, so it isn't blown away
Skips are in high demand at the moment. There are a number of companies that supply skips in Auckland and other regions, it may pay to shop around
Where skips are not available, flexible bins, which are readily available at hardware stores can be used for containing building waste prior to collection
Builders can also transport building materials to transfer stations themselves. Rubbish transfer stations list(external link)
Where possible, consider diverting recovered materials from landfill
Flood damaged materials are potentially hazardous, even once dried out. Use appropriate PPE including gloves and masks when handling flood damaged items
If you have flood damaged refrigeration equipment such as fridges or heat pumps, these must be de-gassed before being removed. Disposing of refrigeration equipment information(external link)

"We appreciate that there is a lot of pressure on the building sector to act quickly to help people put their homes back together. Auckland Council will continue to provide additional information about alternatives for storing and transporting waste, and options for how to divert recovered materials from landfill." Auckland Council.