Tradies garage sale a waste saver
Nearly 15 tonnes of construction waste has been saved from going to landfill in an initiative being applauded by the Associate Minister for the Environment.
Over 500 DIY tradies attended Cambridge’s planned Great DIY Garage Sale last month.
Spearheaded by Cambridge-based Rob May Builders and Waipa¯ District Council, the garage sale put brand new building materials up for grabs that otherwise would have gone straight to the dump.
The resources came from companies around the Waipa¯ district and included toilets, basins, GIB board and paint.
Products that were left over at the end of the garage sale were donated to Habitat for Humanity, who work with the United Nations to build homes for people in need around the world.
Council waste minimisation officer Sally Fraser said the event had been a great success.
‘‘There’s truth to the saying that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure and we really saw that,’’ Fraser said.
‘‘We’re incredibly proud of the collaboration between the local building industry, council and Cambridge East School to not only pull off a great event, but help educate the community that there are other options for waste.’’
The garage sale raised $11,000 for Cambridge East School.
Jono McCullough, from Rob May Builders, said the Great DIY Garage Sale gave an example of what could be done in communities throughout the country.
‘‘It’s amazing to see how our local community took hold of this one idea,’’ he said. ‘‘Rethinking how we recycle our product has benefited not just a local school but the people and facilities of this beautiful town.
‘‘We’re looking forward to a bigger and better event next year.’’
The company and the council were thankful for the large number of people who made the event possible.
Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage applauded the initiative.
‘‘It’s not the Kiwi way to waste good usable products,’’ Sage said.
‘‘This DIY scheme is a fantastic example of making recycling a snap rather than a headache.’’
The minister highlighted construction waste as a ‘‘serious issue’’.
Sage said she recently announced funding for Auckland-based business Asona to develop a recycling system which would stop 350 tonnes of ceiling panels going into landfill each year.
She also announced funds for another company, Green Gorilla, to divert waste from landfill.
‘‘People and companies all over New Zealand understand that it makes sense to find new ways to get value out of resources rather than just dump them,’’ Sage said.
‘‘Designing waste out of the system is fundamental to building a more sustainable economy.
‘‘The leadership Waipa¯ is showing is a great contribution to this shift to more sustainable thinking.’’
Eugenie Sage