Recycle your demolition
This is an excerpt from an article in Sanctuary magazine issue 7.
Over a third of all waste in Australia that ends up in landfill is from the construction and demolition industries, and over two thirds of this is clean material – bricks, concrete and timber – that could be reused. If you’re undertaking a renovation or building demolition and you’d like to ensure the materials are put to good use, there are a number of things you can do.
One of the first things you need to do is to create an inventory of all the materials available to be reclaimed, including number, size and condition. You need to ensure that the builder and/or demolition contractor you hire is sympathetic to your goals, is willing to work to this inventory, and that you discuss and agree upon any extra labour costs that you may incur by using reclaimed materials.
Get in contact with your local second-hand or reclaimed building materials company to sell the materials. Alternatively you could put the materials up for free on a website such as Freecycle Today – Australian Recyclers Community, Freecycle, Freecycle – Melbourne and Australia, or sell them on eBay.
