Canterbury earthquake construction and demolition waste management: issues and improvement suggestions

The increasing number of natural disasters worldwide has made post-disaster construction and demolition (C&D) waste management a crucial component of disaster recovery. This became apparent in New Zealand after the Canterbury region suffered enormously from the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. The City of Christchurch was severely affected, causing around 1000 commercial properties and 10000-15000 residential properties to require demolition. It was estimated that it generated approximately 8 million tonnes of debris, with probably more than a million tonnes from reparation. This paper reflects on the Canterbury earthquake C&D waste management process, limitations and offers recommendations to improve recovery from future disasters. In-depth semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey were conducted with government and non-government organisations involved with C&D waste management, including the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) and accredited demolition contractors. Findings revealed that the “pick and go” strategy introduced by CERA was very effective, as it directed debris straight into the end-use market. This study identified a number of limitations in the current C&D waste management process, such as: lack of waste-processing facilities, incomplete policies and acts, organisational limitations, and poor communication and coordination between parties involved. The findings from this research contribute to a growing body of literature on post-disaster C&D waste management. This paper recommends pre-established waste management plans, additional resources, powerful legislation and a powerful organisation be established, with clear responsibilities and goals, to fully take charge of waste management in future disasters in New Zealand, and manage them effectively and efficiently.