Reducing Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Waste in New Zealand Construction Sites

Ferdinand Oswald¹, Tessa Pook¹

1. The University of Auckland

Published in Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024), edited by Ali GhaffarianHoseini, Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, Farzad Rahimian and Mahesh Babu Purushothaman. Springer Nature, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, volume 591, 2025, pages 1358 to 1368. DOI 10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_130.

Abstract

Plastic's low cost, durability, strength and low density have contributed to its widespread adoption in the building construction sector, which is pivotal in developing cost-effective solutions. However, the plastic production and usage surge has given rise to concerns regarding the environmental impact of the waste generated. Construction and demolition (C&D) waste contributes upward of 25,000 tonnes of plastic to Auckland landfills. One of the contributing factors to the landfilling of plastic waste is the lack of effective waste management and onsite waste sorting.This study, funded by BRANZ, aims to examine EPS waste management practices on a commercial building construction site in Auckland. The following research questions guided the inquiry: How might a case study site provide insights into EPS waste management practices in New Zealand?The research methodology employed in this study was quantitative. A descriptive analysis of data from the AUT A1 Building case study was carried out. Following this, a desktop study was undertaken to gather information about the recycling processes by manufacturers in NZ. It adopts a conclusive research design that relies on primary data sources to ensure the robustness and reliability of its conclusions.A total of 800 m3 of EPS were ordered for the construction of the waffle slab foundation. 58 m3 of EPS waste were recorded, which equates to 158 household-sized bins, which is 7.125% of the 800 m3 procured. The waste generated was diverted from the landfill through on-site waste separation by Naylor Love and transported back to the manufacturer.

Keywords

Session

Presented in Track D, Friday 8 November 2024, 11:00 to 13:00, room WG 1020, Auckland University of Technology. Session chair Dr Alessandro Premier.

How to Cite

Oswald, F., & Pook, T. (2025). Reducing Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Waste in New Zealand Construction Sites. In A. GhaffarianHoseini, A. GhaffarianHoseini, F. Rahimian, & M. B. Purushothaman (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024) (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, Vol. 591, pp. 1358–1368). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_130

About the Conference

Presented at SASBE 2024, the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, held in Auckland from 7 to 9 November 2024 and chaired by Professors Ali and Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, founders of GDI Academy. The version of record is published by Springer Nature; this page is the conference archive record kept by GDI Academy.