Skip to main content

Supplier and product selection

Product design and materials selection, manufacturing specifications and methods, packaging and delivery, and the instructions on product use and installation contribute to the waste on building sites.

In the planning phase, choose building materials and products that reduce waste, such as materials that:

✔️ Have known minimum wastage rates during manufacture

✔️ Have known minimum wastage rates during installation or use

✔️ Have high recycled content

✔️ Don't need finishes

✔️ Can be reused or recycled

✔️ Are durable, low maintenance and will last for the lifespan of the building

Action 1: Consider supplier practices

Your choice of suppliers can influence the amount of waste generated during manufacture and retailing of the product as well as during construction. Develop a preference for materials from suppliers that have investigated how their product characteristics, manufacturing processes and product packaging can reduce waste.

Look for suppliers that:

  • have waste minimisation/environmental plans or credentials
  • recycle waste product back into new product or use materials from other waste streams
  • provide special manufacturing runs to clients' specification or design their product range to suit standard sizes of other building products (to reduce the need for resizing on site)
  • consider product durability or ways to update part of the product rather than the entire product during renovations (for example, by changing veneers or components rather than replacing the entire product)
  • limit maintenance requirements, which may reduce the use (and wastage) of other materials in the installation and use of their product
  • make products that are easy to dismantle for reuse and recycling - by using mechanical fixing instead of adhesives, not blending too many materials together or minimising finishing requirements while still maintaining quality
  • offer a take-back service for surplus materials, off-cuts, scrap and packaging
  • rationalise and reduce packaging to use minimal types and amounts of materials
  • provide packaging that is reusable or recyclable
  • provide information with the product describing handling, storage and recycling methods for the product, including off-cuts and damaged goods, and any packaging
  • make waste reduction a key part of training, after-sales service and product literature for tradespeople, including how to recycle and reuse the product
  • provide a just-in-time delivery service to reduce the chance of damaging materials during storage.



Action 2: Tighten up on estimating and purchasing to eliminate waste

  • plan for reducing waste as much as possible. An easy start is aiming to reduce more waste than your last construction project. Aim to reduce your product orders, as this will give staff an incentive to use resources more efficiently since there is not a plentiful number of supplies available
  • develop a procurement/purchasing policy so that manufacturers and suppliers are aware of your exact requirements. This can help to avoid overpackaging goods or unnecessary packaging
  • ask suppliers to reduce excess packaging, such as shrink-wrap, transport strapping, collation trays etc
  • examine contracts about responsibilities for waste, especially the return of packaging. Suppliers might allow the return of packaging, but the haulers contract may not.
  • order to fit. When ordering materials, double check they are consistent with the dimensions required for the job
  • choose suppliers that offer reuseable packaging schemes or those who are willing to work with you to find a solution to excess waste

Action 3: Planning deliveries efficiently

  • make sure the correct amount of material is brought to site and immediately return oversupply to reduce the potential for product damage and wastage
  • minimise time between delivery and installation - excess materials can be damaged on site, increasing the amount of potential wastage
  • arrange delivery of materials to coincide with construction project stages

Action 4: Work smarter not harder

  • improve materials storage onsite. To avoid damage and deterioration of materials keep packaging on as long as required and ensure storage areas are secure and weatherproof
  • be creative – can unused materials be used to create material storage areas?
  • try not to overorder or let others make you overorder. Work with your supplier to manage order accuracy
  • reject any damaged materials or product during transit and request they be returned to the supplier. This will ensure damaged materials does not add to your waste challenge

Access shop downloads

Two page guides

Comprehensive guides


Updated: 22 May 2024