The old Plunket building in Pukerua Bay was recently demolished by Council.
Construction and demolition waste may not be the type of rubbish most people deal with daily, but it’s the type of waste that’s filling up landfills across the country.
Nationwide, about 70 per cent of construction and demolition waste is sent to landfill. It’s no different in Porirua, with that type of waste making up about half of what’s going into the Spicer Landfill.
To get people thinking more about other uses for this type of waste, next week marks the launch of the first ever national Construction Waste Week, run by WasteMINZ.
Reducing construction waste is not just something to think about when doing building work. It’s also things like taking care to remove that old vanity so it can be donated and have a longer life.
“As Spicer Landfill gets closer to reaching its limits, we need to think about other uses for materials that have previously gone to the tip,” says Porirua City Council Manager Waste David Down.
“Within Council, teams working with properties try to recycle as many materials as possible when they are renovating or demolishing buildings.”
Upgrade jobs at the Porirua Chapel and a building on Hampshire St in Cannons Creek used by WELLfed saw all the native timber recycled that was removed from the buildings.
Small buildings, such as Portacoms, are retained when removed from sites so they can be cleaned up, painted and re-purposed.
Many materials from the recent demolition of the old Plunket building in Pukerua Bay were diverted from landfill, including glass, the concrete slab, and timber.
For those planning some DIY or a building project, check out local building recyclers or second-hand stores for supplies, usually at a lower price than brand new.
A quick drive up the coast in Paraparaumu is Otaihanga Zero Waste – a community enterprise where you can drop off your construction and demolition waste for repurposing or buy building materials to reuse.
Wellington Scrap Metals on Kapuni Grove in Kenepuru also accept all kinds of metal for recycling.
For more information about how you can recycle items that are not accepted in your kerbside recycling bins, check out: poriruacity.govt.nz/other-recycling
22 Oct 2025
