Hall Bros Transport Ltd owner Doug Hall (left) and contract
manager Nic McEwan (right) discuss rubble from the concrete
crusher behind them, at Burnside, Dunedin last week. Photo
by Linda Robertson.
Making money from resources once destined for the
landfill is at the heart of Doug Hall's business.
As owner of Hall Bros Transport Ltd, a Dunedin-based company,
he is a strong believer in the efficiency of recycling and
reusing construction waste.
By reducing the amount of construction waste going to
landfill, his waste bill was reduced and his business became
more efficient.
"To get efficient, you reuse."
Since the company was established in 1986, Mr Hall had
invested more than $2 million in machinery which allowed the
business to prioritise how buildings were dismantled and
construction waste was reused.
"We are just looking to the future, trying to be one step
ahead."
The only wood-chipper of its kind in New Zealand was bought
two years ago, allowing trees and shrubs to be turned into
chips for dairy farms.
The use of building waste for boiler fuel was also being
trialled.
The company owned two concrete crushers, the first of which
was purchased three years ago.
Both machines work all day, every day, turning concrete waste
into aggregate for back-fill on construction sites and
roading.
The Dunedin City Council roading contractor had already used
4000 tonnes of it.
Contract manager Nic McEwan presented a session at a Waste as
a Resource Workshop at the weekend.
He spoke about what projects the company was involved in to
help reduce waste going to landfill.
The event aimed to engage a range of industries and the
community to focus expertise and ideas on how Dunedin's waste
could be utilised as a resource.
Focus would move from recycling initiatives to resource
stewardship, with the aim of achieving zero waste in the city
by 2015.
Speakers included Dunedin City Council energy manager Neville
Auton, Otago Polytechnic Centre for Sustainable Practice
programme development adviser Steve Henry, and facilitator
for Sustainable Living and Behaviour Change Dr Maureen
Howard.
The workshop was held at the Scenic Circle Southern Cross
Hotel from 9am to 5.15pm, on Saturday.
For more information visit www.scifest.org.nz
ellie.constantine@odt.co.nz
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