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Porirua may be able to help provide a facility in the lower North Island to recycle construction and demolition material, after receiving funding to develop a business case.
Last week Minister for the Environment David Parker announced $164,250 to Porirua City Council towards the project, through the national Waste Minimisation Fund.
About 50 per cent of waste to Spicer Landfill each year comes from construction and demolition material – like gib, plastics, steel and other material left over from building homes.
Each home built produces up to five tonnes of unwanted waste, Porirua’s Principal Advisor Resource Recovery Nigel Clarke said.
“We ultimately want to extend the life of our landfill, so it’s important we reduce the amount going in,” he said.
“Construction waste is a big part of what’s being taken up there, so anything we can do to re-use this material would be fantastic for our city.”
Porirua mayor Anita Baker said as Porirua keeps expanding, a facility like this is vital.
“We want to provide this service for our partners Kainga Ora and the private developers so they can keep doing their job effectively.”
If the business case shows that a construction and demolition facility is economically feasible, the next step is to begin planning the facility with partners, such as Kainga Ora. Design and consultation with the public could take place later this year.
Last week’s announcements also had similar funding for a construction and demolition waste facility in Auckland, along with food waste projects in Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown, Nelson, Napier, Auckland and Northland.
Reducing construction and demolition waste will also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and is another step towards helping New Zealand become a low waste, low emissions economy, Minister Parker said.
“Much of this type of waste could be reduced, reused and recovered,” he said.
“That’s a win-win for the climate and the environment.”
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