DON’T DEMOLISH IT - DECONSTRUCT IT ! 

Deconstruction is a sustainable alternative to building demolition, where by deconstructing a building by hand enables recovery up to 95% of building materials for reuse or recycling.  

Resource Work Cooperative in Tasmania offers a qualified crew that can deconstruct a building as quickly as a traditional demolition, including commercial, industrial and residential buildings of all sizes. Deconstruction not only save tonnes of building material from landfill, but also could generate thousands of dollars in reclaimed building materials. 

Not only is deconstruction much kinder to the environment, the process of pulling apart a building by hand can also unearth some unique history. During deconstruction of the Hobart City Hall,  the Resource Work team discovered an array of antique boots buried under the 1915 flooring.

A recent New Zealand study has found that recycling a house is actually cheaper than demolishing it and sending the waste to landfill. Envision NZ teamed up with the Helensville Community Recycling Centre, Auckland Council and the Department of Corrections to carefully pull apart a classic Kiwi 1950s weatherboard home. It took eight days to deconstruct the 120-square-metre house where the team managed to save 87% of materials from landfill, and provide up to $15,000 of reusable native timber. 

Otter-Lowe said that as well as being cheaper and beneficial for the environment, recycling more homes would create employment. A study found for every 10,000 tonnes of deconstructed houses, 300 jobs could be created, she said.