Keep New Zealand Beautiful Backing Kiwi Ingenuity

LOCAL TECHNOLOGY REDUCES PRESSURE ON NEW ZEALAND LANDFILLS

A new locally made building product has been launched to try and reduce the 163,000 tonnes of concrete dumped in New Zealand landfills each year.

According to recent Ministry for the Environment statistics* building and construction waste makes up 17% of the 3.2 million tonnes of refuse dumped in New Zealand landfills annually.

Cemix is an Auckland company, and a tried and trusted brand, which has been manufacturing innovtive construction products in New Zealand for over 25 years. Cemix has developed a new product which will provide an environmentally friendly option for DIY Kiwi's and tradesmen alike.

Cemix Envirocrete is a blended concrete mix which contains 50% recycled materials including; recycled concrete, fly ash (a post industrial by-product) and cement. Managing Director or Cemix Bhav Dhillon says the new Envirocrete is a more sustainable concrete choice for home renovators without having to sacrifice performance. This new recycled crushed concrete is a sustainable alternative to natural aggregates which means that the consumption of non-renewable resources such as riverbeds and quarries can be reduced.

Dhillon says for every 1000 tonnes of Envirocrete produced there is a reduction on landfill volume by 500 tonnes and a further 500 tonne reduction on depletion of virgin natural non-renewable aggregate resources.

Keep New Zealand Beautiful National Programmes Manager Mary Brown says “Being a tiny country, with a very limited amount of land in close proximity to valuable agriculture and forestry areas means we need to minimise as much waste from ending up in landfill as possible. Brilliant ideas such as this, shows a leading commitment to the longevity of our beautiful environment and is a huge step forward in ensuring we’re not wasting valuable resources that don’t need to be land filled.”