Mutu features in Contractor Magazine
November 11, 2024
Mutu CEO, Ben Redwood was asked to contribute an article to Contractor Magazine for their November 2024 issue with a focus on the impact of sustainable initiative reporting on civil contractors.
Ben provided his insights into what he is seeing in the sector around the challenge between achieving sustainable outcomes on projects and rising costs. Regulatory changes and a shift in client mindset means that there is tension between these 2 aspects of new projects.
Ben speaks about how Mutu is showing that saving more AND being sustainable can be achieved with Mutu.
You can read the full article below:
Balancing ‘green’ and financial pressures
The industry faces a double-edged challenge with environmental legislation in the face of mounting economic pressures. By Ben Redwood, CEO and founder of Mutu, a finalist in the 2023 Auckland CCNZ Hynds Construction Awards – Sustainability & Innovation’.
The Natural and Built Environment Act 2023 is just one example of how more stringent environmental standards to reduce waste, emissions, and resource consumption have been put on construction.
As clients place more emphasis on reducing environmental impacts contractors who adopt greener practices will be better positioned to win contracts and deliver projects more efficiently. These ‘greener’ approaches and the reporting and compliance that comes along with them, often mean higher upfront costs.
Optimising material use and minimising waste is one of the simplest ways to reduce costs and environmental impact. Construction sites are notorious for high energy consumption due to the use of heavy machinery, lighting, and temporary power sources. Reducing energy consumption during construction can significantly cut costs and improve sustainability. Smartpower management systems that reduce idle time for machinery and optimise energy use on- site can cut energy consumption by 15-20 percent. There are also examples of switching to renewable energy sources, such as solar-powered generators, and the establishment of water catchment systems which can further lower the environmental impact and reduce long-term costs on projects.
Adopting circular economy principles where materials are reused or recycled instead of discarded can significantly reduce material costs and waste.
Sourcing materials from suppliers who adhere to sustainability standards can reduce a project’s overall environmental footprint. Materials with lower embodied carbon, or those certified by green standards like Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), can help contractors meet sustainability targets without drastically increasing costs. The Carbon Trust found that sustainable procurement can reduce carbon emissions by up to 20 percent.
History is indicating that civil contracting clients are going to continue to demand ‘sustainable’ solutions, and regulatory requirements are going to continue to come down the pipeline. Making ‘sustainability’ not just rhetoric but the economical smart way forward.
Contractors can manage sustainability and economic pressures through technology and tools like Mutu which enables contractors to share resources, including materials, equipment, and fleet, across project sites.
With over 50 contractors already using the Mutu service the platform is on a mission to show that contractors can hit sustainability requirements and goals and save money at the same time by reducing waste and eliminating unnecessary procurement.
Mutu works by allowing contractors to quickly create a catalogue of all materials that are available for reuse across their business. Anytime someone comes across something they no longer need or want to send back to the yard, they can quickly use their phone to list it on Mutu and notify everyone across that it is available. This creates a digital inventory of all the materials in the yard and at projects.
Mutu then makes it easy for staff to search and claim things they need to do their jobs straight from their phones on site. By having easy access and visibility to the resources that are available, teams avoid buying things that already exist and keep waste out of landfill by repurposing items back into other projects.
Most importantly, Mutu then gives access to dashboards to report on the outcomes of these activities in real-time to show clients and to contribute towards internal climate plans.
Mutu allows users to report on: Procurement costs savings; waste redirected from landfill; CO2 emissions redirected from landfill; disposal costs saved; item material and location distribution; and which staff are the reuse champions across the business.
Interested in trying Mutu for your organisation -> Get in touch!