Reducing waste in the construction and demolition industry 

We supported the efforts of Auckland Council in reducing waste from the construction and demolition industry as part of their goal to achieve zero waste to landfill in Auckland by 2040.  

For Auckland Council to achieve meaningful waste reduction by their target date, tackling the problem of the Construction and Demolition industry is imperative – an industry where attitudes and behaviours are firmly entrenched and there is a reluctance for change. Add to this the complexity of all the different stakeholders that need to be engaged to gain traction: developers, community connectors, designers, engineers, builders, sub-contractors, homeowners, project managers, interior designers (to name but a few) – all with their own agenda. 

We used the Verian Behaviour Change model to identify and prioritise the behaviour change levers that would be most effective in prompting more sustainable behaviours. 

The research revealed a number of structural elements in the industry that were preventing people living their sustainable values as they might do at home, which was resulting in the creation of social norms in the industry that excused non-sustainable behaviour. We developed key ‘proof points’ against which all future communications strategies need to deliver to break existing patterns and prompt real and sustained behaviour change. 

“They should be delighted. They really brought their A game. They deserve a shout out as it’s a very complex area and the way they thought about the research problem and how to structure their approach was clever and simple. Not many things are clever and simple.” Jeremy Todd – Head of Audience Strategy & Business Performance, Auckland Council