Abstract
Modern society generates a growing waste production, associated with natural non-renewable resources depletion. Notably, the building and construction sectors are believed to consume approximately half of the planet’s resources and to be responsible for around 30 to 50% of waste production. Awareness has grown worldwide, particularly within the themes of sustainable building and resource consumption. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the feasibility of the reuse of products in the building industry and to present recommendations to promote this activity. This research is focusing on the Dunedin context and recommendations are made at the local and national levels.
A literature review has been undertaken where eight factors influencing the reuse of building products have been identified: solid waste management, deconstruction, design for reuse and other similar design, designing with salvaged products, stakeholders, economic influence, statutory framework, and sustainable building. In addition, interviews with key informants on the building and waste industries have been conducted in Dunedin and Wellington to identify the local barriers and opportunities for this activity.
Results have demonstrated that the reuse of building products is embedded within broader notions such as building with sustainable building and heritage buildings, demolition, and construction and demolition waste. There is currently a lack of research on topics relative to the reuse of building products and a lack of leadership to encourage this activity and educate the New Zealand population accordingly. Although some New Zealand legislation is in theory favourable to this activity, the building legislation hinders the reuse of products in the structure of buildings. Economic factors are also identified as a critical aspect of this activity as it can be commercial. A set of recommendations in these five areas has been designed to provide a better framework for and to encourage this activity.