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Waste at our construction sites

Construction waste makes up nearly 75% of our total waste emissions (including landfill and recycling). We’re committed to reducing our waste while continuing to grow Aotearoa’s renewable energy assets.

At Meridian we work hard to reduce our waste. For each construction project, we set ambitious waste diversion targets in a sustainability management plan and waste management plan, following the avoid, reduce, re-use, recycle hierarchy. We require contractors to do the same and provide an environmental and sustainability site representative to drive sustainability efforts through the duration of the construction.

Harapaki Wind Farm 

For the construction of Harapaki windfarm, we set a target for 75% diversion of waste from landfill and exceeded it, achieving 89% diversion. Much of this success was thanks to community reuse. We partnered with a local landowner to establish a transfer station, enabling materials to be repurposed locally. 

We delivered containers, pipes and timber to local iwi, who distributed them throughout the community and supported repair efforts following Cyclone Gabrielle. Even the tarps used to wrap wind turbines during transport were repurposed and donated to local farmers for reuse. 

Working with the local community is a huge part of how we achieve our waste diversion targets. 

Ruakākā BESS 

At our newly opened Ruakākā Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), we aimed for over 80% waste diversion from landfill and achieved over 99%. This was made possible by creatively reusing materials and collaborating with the community. For example, PVC pipe offcuts were repurposed by a local mountain bike club as mini culverts for their tracks. 

Driving innovation and continuous improvement 

We actively encourage innovation and creativity to improve our sustainability practices. Initiatives include using concrete washout stumps (designated areas to clean trucks and equipment to control contamination), encouraging proper disposal of hazardous waste, controlling and collecting sawdust, and ensuring all our fencing is rolled up and reused for other projects. 

Looking ahead 

We’re continuously tightening our waste reduction targets and striving for better outcomes across the board.  

We’re committed to demonstrating best-practice waste management at our construction sites by working towards zero waste to landfill. Our ambition is also to achieve zero waste when components of our operational assets (such as solar panels, batteries, turbines, concrete and metals) reach the end of their useful lives.  

Repurposing single-use material at Harapaki  

In constructing our Harapaki Wind Farm in Hawke’s Bay, we took a very deliberate approach to materials that are often labelled as single-use. Instead of simply resorting to recycling or sending to the landfill, we actively sought alternative uses, finding creative solutions within our community. 

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Harapaki Novacoils

Tackling Zero

Tackling Zero is Meridian’s quarterly newsletter for people whose roles or studies are focused on sustainability, or for whom this is an area of interest. Each issue will offer Meridian’s insights into a topical sustainability issue, as well as stories on how we, our customers and supply chain partners are tackling sustainability. It also includes links to recent Meridian disclosures such as new policies and reports.


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