When renovating your home, you can come into contact with dangerous chemicals including lead in paint or asbestos. You need to take care when handling materials such as treated timber which contains pesticides, and must ensure you dispose of your building waste responsibly.
Diverting building waste from landfill
In NSW, approximately 75% of construction and demolition waste is diverted from landfill. Household building waste can be diverted through
- reuse and recycling
- resale and reprocessing of materials such as concrete, bricks and timber
By diverting household building waste from landfill, you can avoid the negative environmental impacts associated with landfill and the waste of valuable materials. Recycling and reusing household building waste
- reduces material extraction, which protects air quality
- reduces water pollution, energy use and habitat loss
- generates fewer greenhouse gases than manufacturing building products from new materials
To find a recycling facility near you, visit RecyclingNearYou.
For help with selecting a reputable recycler, see Choosing the Right Recycler Guide.
House deconstruction
House deconstruction is an alternative to house demolition. House deconstruction involves removing and separating building materials and fixtures to select those that can be recycled or reused to minimise the increasingly expensive costs of disposal.
The following fact sheets offer tips and advice on how to plan and carry out house deconstruction. They show the income generated and costs avoided by deconstructing buildings in comparison with the costs associated with demolition and landfill disposal.
- House deconstruction information booklet (PDF 1.5MB)
- Plan and conduct a house deconstruction (PDF 753KB)
- Stripping out: fixtures and fittings (PDF 822KB)
- Roof surface removal (PDF 764KB)
- Plasterboard removal (PDF 653KB)
- Roof beams and timber removal (PDF 764KB)
- Bricks and concrete removal (PDF 670KB)
Tip fees for building and construction waste
The EPA does not set the gate fees charged by waste facility operators. It is the local waste facility’s management that sets gate fees, with the waste levy being only one component of the cost. The waste levy provides an incentive for waste generators to reduce the amount of waste they generate. The funds raised by the levy are used for NSW Government grant programs under Waste Less, Recycle More to provide better waste and recycling infrastructure across NSW.
If you cannot recycle your building waste, you may be able to take it to your local tip or waste transfer facility, or you may choose to arrange a pick-up service. To find drop-off locations, or find a construction and demolition waste service provider, contact your local council.