A Pasifika company in west Auckland is saving tens of thousands of tonnes of construction waste from landfills.
TROW Group deconstructs construction sites, recycling the material instead of demolishing it, and now they're taking the idea to the rest of the world.
"Demolition's been the norm for 40, 50 plus years, but the landfills are getting full now," says TROW spokesperson and former Kiwi league legend Joe Vagana.
Waste from construction and demolition is more than double the total waste from all household collections in Auckland, but Vagana says it doesn't have to go to landfill.
"When you construct a building you go from the bottom up, we deconstruct it from the top down."
From roofing iron, timber, bricks, windows and doors, all the way to the foundations, they recycle and repurpose at least 80 percent of the building. They even recycle the concrete by breaking it up and crushing it down.
TROW Group community innovations lead Lili Kawaguchi is heading to Dubai to present their work at Te Aratini, an international festival of indigenous and tribal ideas.
"We are trying to share that experience so that people take that away and say look it's working in Aotearoa New Zealand, it might work here where we are."
It not only helps the environment but it's more labour intensive so it creates jobs and materials are used to help low-income communities, schools, churches and marae.
"Every project that TROW takes on, we try and make sure that there is a benefit for the community," says Kawaguchi.
Anything not used locally is sent to Tonga, with plans to ship to Samoa once the border reopens too.
They not only recycle but relocate and renovate. They're working with the Tamaki Regeneration Company to repurpose 2500 homes that are due to be removed over the next 15 years.
Vagana says the benefits of deconstruction far outweigh the cost of demolition.
"Employment, good for the environment, good for social outcomes, circular economy both here and in the islands, if you ask me it's a win-win for deconstruction."
Deconstructing the past, to build a better future.
