Building and development

Case Studies

Read through our case studies to see the waste hierarchy in use in construction projects.

Requirements

Hamilton’s Waste Management Minimisation Bylaw and Operative District Plan both detail the requirements for waste storage for all residential and commercial buildings. It is a good idea to consult these documents as early as possible in your design process to avoid having to make costly changes later. 

Waste storage refers to two scenarios:

1. How waste is managed on the property, and 

2. How it will be collected (this could be on the berm, or on the property depending on the waste management solution in place once people are living in and/or using your development.)

It is important that both are considered, particularly if the development is using Council’s kerbside collection. This is because the waste storage requirements on the property will always be larger than the waste storage requirements on the berm. That is, the property needs space for four bins, and the berm will only need space for a maximum of three bins at any one time. However, kerbside space is often scarce, particularly if you are designing a multi-unit development. 

• You can view the Waste Management Minimisation Bylaw here - take note of section 5.4 and 5.22 (and also 5.39 if you’re designing and building a multi-unit development).

• You can view the Operative District Plan here – solid waste is covered in Volume 1, Chapter 25, section 12 and section 14.4.3b. You may also need to check out the Design Guides in Volume 2, Appendix 1, Section 4.

• Hamilton City Council’s Design for waste guide

Work out how much space you need for rubbish and recycling storage when designing a residential dwelling.

Before construction

Construction and demolition can often be costly for business and for the environment. The rising housing demand in Hamilton not only means resources are slim, they can also be pricey.

That's why it's important to think about minimising waste on site and seeing what resources could be reduced, reused or recycled. We call this designing out waste.

By designing out waste from the start of a project you can: 

• Save money on purchase costs 

• Save money on cartage to landfill, disposal costs and landfill levy expansion  

• Earn revenue from recovered materials 

• Avoid non-compliance costs and time spent managing them 

• Have more effective on-site waste practices 

• Feel great about doing your bit to support the environment. 

Our Building without waste guide provides helpful information on how to reduce waste from the beginning of the project. If you want to learn more about reducing construction and demolition waste or have any other inquiries, contact wasteplans@hcc.govt.nz. 

During construction

The best way to reduce waste on site is to develop a site waste plan. 

There's also a whole heap of local service providers who can help you get started on your journey and help you throughout the process:

 The above list contains possible service providers who can help reduce waste in the construction and demolition industry. The list is intended as a starting point only. Hamilton City Council does not recommend one company over another, nor guarantee the quality of the services provided by any of these companies. 

Resource Recovery Map for Construction and Demolition Waste

The BRANZ Resource recovery map has been created out of the need for people in the Construction and Demolition (C&D) industry to easily locate known facilities throughout Aotearoa New Zealand to manage C&D waste responsibly. 

Other resources

• REBRI (Resource efficiency in the building and related industries) are a part of BRANZ that provide plans, forms and guides that help reduce waste in the design and construction phases of development

• New Zealand Green Building Council represent 520 organisations and companies who believe in a better built Aotearoa advocating for regulatory and industry-wide change. They provide events and training for people in the industry

• Waste Hub offers a series of how-to videos demonstrating practical ways that waste can be reduced and sorted on site.

Complete a Waste Design Plan