Smartway Builders finding New Life for Timber
Howard and Ann Woolston are passionate Waikanae locals and the owners of Smartway Builders who service the Greater Wellington Region delivering new builds and renovations. When designing and delivering both large and small projects, the team at Smartway Builders endeavour to incorporate acceptable outcomes in their sphere of influence to reduce the impact to the environment.
Smartway Builders sustainability journey came about for two main reasons. The first being a casual conversation Howard had with a worker on site, who after renovating a big home, saw a large portion of Rimu going in the bin destined for the tip. This was part of a big renovation project on a ‘Grand Old Lady’ home that was built in the 1900s. The project had upwards of 16 bins of waste, with tonnes of Rimu destined for the tip.
“This really triggered me into thinking about how much we are throwing in the bin. Although convenient for disposable, it was bringing the life of that timber to an end, and we didn’t like that concept.” says Howard.
The second big motivator for the pair was thinking about their grandchildren and the world they would grow up in. If they were asked by their grandchildren about what they were doing to reduce the impact on climate change, “I didn’t want to say nothing” shares Howard.
From that point, the team began reviewing the waste from their construction sites and formulating a plan to implement changes across the business. This mainly focused on their operations and ensuring that any native Rimu timber that was discovered during renovation jobs would be recycled into a new format. Howard quickly established a new rule on site.
“If the piece of timber was longer than your elbow to your wrist then it doesn’t go in the bin. We asked our builders and contractors to take the extra time, remove a nail or two and this timber was to find a new purpose. This simple task ended up having an impact by redirecting, repurposing and recycling to minimise waste going to landfill. Plus, some of the timber we could actually reuse for future jobs which saved money.”
Smartway Builders sister company, The Timber Reclaimers, was developed after Howard saw a need for the materials, they were diverting away from the landfill to find new life. The company ensures that they continue to significantly reduce waste that is generated through the daily construction activities of Smartway Builders.
Ann and Howard Woolston Smartway Builders owners
A range of New Zealand native timbers are recycled and repurposed into coasters, hot mats, presentation boards and chopping boards. The goal is to expand into other products.
“It’s not about making money, but instead giving the timbers new life and purpose.”
The implementation of sustainability initiatives for the business was a challenge at first for the team. There was an education piece needed to get everyone to buy into the processes being implemented.
“We had some advocates that got it and drove the new initiatives forward. You need champions in your business who are on board with your goal, to reinforce the benefits and why.”
When asked about the costs to their business Howard is quick with his response.
“I don’t see it as having a cost, I see it as an investment in my grandkid’s future. Yes, it can take more time and effort but that’s not a cost, it's an opportunity.”
“Benefits to our businesses are that our personal and organisational values align, and we hope our clients also appreciate and respect that.”
Incorporating sustainable practices is not only important to their business, but also for Kāpiti. A corporate sustainable policy is currently underway for Smartway Builders, which will result in being able to share, from a corporate perspective, their initiatives and talk with suppliers and contractors on implementing that within their work.
For the wider Kāpiti Coast community, with the number of new homes being built in the region, the team are implementing a healthy home design matrix, working with architects to deliver better quality homes.
In the future, Smartway Builders have numerous key focus areas where they hope to improve their environmental sustainability. At a high level, the focus is to design better homes and substantially reduce their construction waste.
“We want to find partners that can guide us and assist in delivering work in a way that is more beneficial to the environment."
– Howard Woolston, Co-owner Smartway Builders
“We want to find partners that can guide us and assist in delivering work in a way that is more beneficial to the environment. Our other focus areas are to find new ways to repurpose materials and explore material packaging and better alternatives.”
When speaking of their sustainability journey, Howard says “Our general attitude is part of our overriding attitude. We want to treat our people well and our planet well.”
Howard's thoughts for other business owners are centred around commitment.
“Be like a postage stamp and stick to it until you get there. It’s not an easy journey, it's about being different and bold. But know you can make a difference and don’t be afraid to get started. Don’t focus on what you can’t do, take 5 minutes look in the bin and ask yourself what we as a business could do differently?”
To find out more about Smartway Builders sustainability work.