Resource use and recycling

Fletcher Building recognises the economic and environmental benefits that result from more efficient resource use and recycling. Several Fletcher Building operations recycle waste for raw materials or supplementary energy sources. 

Business unit examples

• Pacific Steel uses over 300,000 tonnes of scrap steel in the electric arc furnace. The electric arc furnace process produces steel from scrap using significantly less energy and producing lower CO₂   emissions than the integrated process required when iron ore is used as raw material

• In New Zealand, The Laminex Group uses 137,000 green tonnes of biomass waste as raw material in the manufacture of its panels. This biomass waste would otherwise generate CO₂   /methane emissions from landfills.  The Laminex Group also uses 0.3 PetaJoules of renewable energy from wood waste in New Zealand and 1.7 PetaJoules in its Australian panel plants

• Golden Bay Cement uses flyash as a supplementary cementitious raw material, and wood waste as a supplementary fuel. The cement kiln has capability for converting a variety of other waste streams to energy

• Tasman Insulation derives 80% of the raw materials required for manufacture of glasswool insulation products from recycled glass