Skillful Management Capitalises on Waste Exchange

Property Manager George Watson has managed to make good use of both sides of TerraNova's Waste Exchange Service. George is property manger of OLT Holdings, which owns the Triangle Centre in the central city. In a former role as manager of the Aranui branch of the Mature Employment Service George had cause to use the Waste Exchange service on many occasions. When a major upgrade of the Triangle Centre was being undertaken George planned in advance and contacted the Waste Exchange service to see what items could be collected for reuse.

Because of George’s forward planning Jim Forsman, TerraNova Waste Exchange Co-ordinator, was able to measure and photograph the windows and glass doors that were going to be removed during the upgrade in situ. Jim emailed these photos to all the community groups in Canterbury, and all the items were collected by new owners on the day that they were removed from the Centre. That meant not only less hassle for the developers but also provided great bonuses for the community groups who received and reused the doors and windows. 

Once the alterations had been made George again contacted Jim, this time to request material from the Waste Exchange database. George needed large sheets of cardboard or fabric to cover the floor and fixed furniture while the painters sprayed the walls and ceilings. A quick search of the database revealed a company that had blue reinforced plastic tarpaulin. The material was supplied as a tube, but one cut lengthways produced a five by two and a half metre tarpaulin. The tarpaulins contain no ropes or eyelets and thus are ideal for covering machinery and plants, as well as for use as ground cover. The tarpaulins were ideal for the task. Contract painter Steve Tuuta advised that they were the best protective mats he had ever used - any overspray on them dried quickly and they were easy to move. 

The Triangle Redevelopment Project was a great success for Waste Exchange, thanks mainly to George’s planning and organisation. Because Jim knew about the fittings before they needed to be removed he had the opportunity to market the items and arrange for their collection. Unfortunately this is not the norm says Jim – many property managers contact the Waste Exchange service as the fittings/furniture are actually being removed and then they want the items collected almost immediately. Working with professional managers such as George certainly helps us to fulfill our aim of diverting materials from land fill for reuse.