Sustainability

Reducing our carbon footprint has always been a top priority. While we actively measure it for our entire company, we can also assess individual projects as well. Our holistic approach means we’re constantly trying to find new ways to work with our clients and suppliers to reduce the ongoing impact on all of our projects.

Recently, we were contracted to get the infrastructure ready on the Harapaki Wind Farm. Coming on early in the process, we saw an opportunity to help redesign road alignments, which saved on time, quantity, costs, and carbon. These tweaks allowed us to lower emissions by 10% from earthworks, and also reduced the amount of concrete piping by 105 tonnes – resulting in 30 tonnes less of C02.

Our Waste Minimisation strategy allows us to get the most out of our site without adding unnecessary waste to the environment. When sourcing and using materials, we ask ourselves a series of questions.

Can we reduce it?
Whenever we survey a site, we try our best to only order what we need. When we can, we will also work with our suppliers to eliminate excess packaging and take every precaution to avoid the need to rework.

Can we reuse it?
Once a project is done and dusted, we do what we can to repurpose excess materials. That’s why we deconstruct, rather than demolish. We have also invested into the Mutu xChange. An internal “Trade Me” of sorts, so our different worksites can find excess materials.

Can we recycle it?
Our final line of defence before the landfill is our custom recycling system for each project. Recycling streams are determined by the phase of the job. And as recycling is a fluid industry, we’re always in the know about who can recycle what, helping us divert as much waste as possible.

You can’t work as close with nature as we do without showing some respect. That’s why we put so much emphasis on our environmental management. Each member of our team is well aware of their responsibilities and are taught to proactively find ways to lower their impact. We’re proud of the fact that we’ve pioneered valuable technologies in the field and have become leaders in the environmental management space.

We like to think there is a role for everyone at Hick Bros. Hence why we’ve got a multi-skilled crew from all different backgrounds. We make sure everyone has the opportunity to grow, while we try our best to have a positive impact on the communities we work with.