Sustainability set in concrete

Envirocon creates precast concrete blocks from concrete that would otherwise go to landfill

Every year in New Zealand, several hundred thousand tonnes of concrete end up as waste. Envirocon is working hard to tackle that issue. 

After every pour from a concrete truck, a tiny amount of wet concrete remains in the truck – around 3.6%, according to Allin Russell, Envirocon Director.  

“But because concrete is so ubiquitous, that’s a huge amount overall,” Mr Russell says. “To put it in everyday terms, it’s about eight to nine Auckland Sky Towers’ worth of concrete going to waste every year.”

Envirocon was founded in 2004, aiming to address the issue of excess concrete waste in New Zealand, and the business now has eight depots throughout the country.

Concrete trucks travel to Envirocon depots to get rid of their excess concrete – the company then turns that concrete into precast concrete blocks that are used throughout the country in a range of construction projects, from culverts and storage solutions through to roadwork and retaining walls. Auckland’s newly opened City Rail Link is just one recent customer to have used the blocks during construction.

The company’s newest depot, a facility in Tauranga, was financed through support from the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund (Envirocon’s product stewardship is accredited under the Waste Minimisation Act) and a Westpac Sustainable Business Loan.

“The Tauranga project was a win for everyone – a big win for the Tauranga City Council as they wanted to reduce waste and drive sustainability outcomes; a win for the Government because they were putting their Waste Minimisation Fund to work; and a win for us because we’re expanding our footprint,” Mr Russell says.  

Brendon Wilson, Westpac NZ Relationship Manager, says Envirocon’s business model meant they were a natural fit for Westpac’s sustainable lending.

“The new Tauranga depot and the expansion of the company’s Christchurch facility will result in around 56,000 tonnes of concrete waste being directly diverted from landfill each year – that’s a great outcome,” Mr Wilson says.

Once a project is at its end, Envirocon also runs a buy-back scheme, through which it repurposes the blocks for other initiatives.       

“By turning leftover concrete into products that can be used over and over, we’re helping to build a construction system that performs strongly today as well as being sustainable into the future,” Mr Russell says.

Westpac Sustainable Business Loans are available to customers investing in projects that deliver positive environmental or social outcomes. Customers receive a preferred lending rate and then have two years to develop their initiative. Eligibility, terms and conditions apply.