As we eagerly await the completion of major works, a new initiative of the Northern Beaches Council now makes it easier and cheaper for developers to recycle demolition and construction waste.

Deputy General Manager David Kerr said less waste will go to landfill as construction waste materials generated in the former Warringah Council area can now be recycled.

"The Council has changed the Warringah Development Control Plan 2011 to produce better environment outcomes from development, particularly larger developments such as apartment buildings," Mr Kerr said.

"Developers can now better manage and recover waste from demolition and construction activities. Not only will less waste go to landfill, it means a reduction in disposal costs at the same time."

Mr Kerr explained that building materials account for about half of all solid waste generated worldwide.

"They have an environmental impact at every step of the building process - extraction of raw materials, processing, manufacturing, transportation, construction and disposal at the end of a building's useful life," he said.

"More and more opportunities to reuse waste construction materials are being developed as the building and waste management industries move to more sustainable development."

"Northern Beaches Council is leading and supporting this trend by implementing these changes to the Warringah Development Control Plan."

Developers can save substantially on tipping prices by separating waste loads for recycling and reuse at Kimbriki Resource Recovery Centre and other waste management sites in Sydney.

The new Warringah Development Control Plan will continue to require all applications for development (demolition, construction or on-going waste management) to be accompanied by a Waste Management Plan and to satisfy Council's Waste Management Guidelines.

It is hoped the scheme will eventually be rolled out across the whole Northern Beaches Council area.