Home free: Saving by clever reuse of building waste

Disposals from construction and demolition make up our largest single waste stream. Yet much of what's thrown out could be recycled or repurposed, with obvious savings for all

‘Think before you Skip’ is the latest advice from MyWaste to people doing work on their homes or DIY projects. Picture: iStock

A glance into a skip outside a building undergoing renovation, the other day, revealed items like kitchen cabinets, doors, bricks, skirting boards, a fireplace and bathroom items.

‘Think before you Skip’ is the latest advice from MyWaste — Ireland’s official guide to managing waste — to people doing work on their homes, or DIY projects.

Disposals from construction and demolition make up our largest single waste stream, at eight million tonnes annually. Yet, much of the stuff thrown out could be recycled, or repurposed, in some way, with obvious savings.

A recent production of RTÉ’s Great House Revival programme, featuring teacher Sean Hickey, from Kilkenny, was an excellent example of how that can be achieved.

New research reveals a third of people here do a home clear-out annually, with half saying they recently completed a renovation. A fifth said they used a skip in the past year. In a new, public information campaign, MyWaste is urging citizens to ‘think circular’, and to priorities reuse and proper waste separation.

But back to the afore-mentioned TV programme, presented by the late and much-lamented Hugh Wallace, in which the focus was on a two-up, two-down dwelling in John Street, Kilkenny City.

Having purchased the Victorian terraced house, Sean set out to do much of the work himself and saved a lot of money by shrewdly upcycling (repurposing) existing materials including the kitchen and bathroom.

With a budget of €100,000, of which half came in grants, he furnished the house for just €2,000 using materials he salvaged, bought at auction, or inherited.

They included bricks, a clock from an old school and 700 slates from a neighbour’s property, to mention some. In addition to the €220,000 house purchase price, he carried out work to-date for €80,000 and reckons he’ll finish the job for another €20,000.

Hugh Wallace described Sean’s achievement as ‘extraordinary’. Anybody taking on a similar task on a tight budget would do well to replay the programme — a master class from a teacher!

Latest research, meanwhile, found the kitchen (44%), the bathroom (41%), and general living spaces (40%) are the parts of the house most involved in clear-outs. Internal and external doors (44%) are the top items considered for reuse, or sale, followed by fireplaces and kitchen cabinets (41% each).

Phiippa King, regional waste coordinator, said: “We are seeing too much reusable and recyclable material ending up in skips and losing its value.’’ 

Sean Hickey has shown that with clever restoration of old homes and the re-use of building materials, not to mention honest toil, housing can become affordable to more people again.