What if waste wasn’t wasted at all?
That’s the question Mutu is answering in real time and they’re making a serious dent in how construction companies handle surplus materials, gear, and equipment. The idea came from founder Ben Redwood, originally launched as a peer-to-peer rental platform for the public, Mutu made its pivot in 2021, when a business asked: “Can we use this model internally?”
That question changed everything. After scraping the internet for 500 names with ‘asset manager,’ ‘procurement or ‘sustainability’ in their title Ben cold-called every one pretending to be a student doing a research project, and Redwood said “that’s when I knew we were onto something.”
Today, Mutu is live on over 750 construction sites across Aotearoa, helping to redirect more than 5,500 tonnes of materials from sites into new projects, saving over 900 tonnes of CO₂ emissions plus millions of dollars in unnecessary procurement and disposal costs for their clients. For Ben, this isn’t just business, it’s personal. As a Dad of two boys, he’s driven by a strong sense of purpose and future thinking. “We see thousands of tonnes of materials being kept out of landfill. It’s super motivating to have a business where this is the outcome,” he says. “We’re helping people do the right thing, we’re building something our kids can be proud of and having a real impact on the sector in Aotearoa.”
Construction is one of New Zealand’s biggest waste offenders, sending an estimated 5.25 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste to landfill annually. A single house build can generate over 4 tonnes of waste, and the value of discarded materials is often north of $30,000 per project.
Mutu makes it easy to do better.
Their app allows contractors to see what materials or equipment already exist across their organisation, eliminating unnecessary procurement orders, improving utilisation, and making internal sharing effortless. “We don’t ask businesses to reinvent anything,” Ben explains. “We are just taking a process many of them are already doing and moving it into an app to get the data. Once people see the impact, behaviour changes follow.” Mutu uniquely also offers a money-back guarantee (rare for a software company) but most companies pay off the subscription fee in 70 days. After that it’s cashflow positive, and they’re doing the right thing.
Mutu is designed for large contractors (+50 staff) juggling multiple sites, and project teams where there is a lack of visibility about what resources are surplus and available. Now, Mutu is expanding into Australia, where sustainability regulations are accelerating and demand for circular solutions is strong. It’s a natural next step, but the mission remains the same: shift construction from linear to circular, and make that shift profitable.
“Our goal is simple: we want Mutu to be standard on every major construction site in New Zealand andAustralia,” says Ben. “If we can help contractors save money and the planet at the same time that’s a win-win.”
What began as a peer-to-peer sharing tool has evolved into a game-changing circular platform solving one of construction’s biggest environmental challenges, and proving that waste doesn’t have to be wasted and being sustainable is profitable!
Know of a construction company that could use Mutu? Connect them with the Mutu team here and get $1000 cash!