1.11.4 Benchmarking and Scaling-up Australia’s Circular Economy Practices

Infrastructure

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1.11.4

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In Progress

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Core

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2026 - 2027

The built environment is a cornerstone of Australia’s economy, yet it is also a major contributor to material consumption, waste generation, and carbon emissions. Building...

Overview

The built environment is a cornerstone of Australia’s economy, yet it is also a major contributor to material consumption, waste generation, and carbon emissions. Building on SBEnrc Project 1.10.4—which established a nationally consistent approach—this project will benchmark circular economy practices across Australia using a shared, evidence‑based framework for the built environment.

The project will examine opportunities to embed circular economy principles and R‑strategies (such as reuse, refurbishment, and recycling) into construction and infrastructure projects, supporting the development of a more connected and effective circular economy ecosystem. In parallel, it will investigate the key social, economic, and environmental decision‑making factors that influence the adoption and scaling of circular practices across the sector.

By identifying both practical interventions and systemic enablers, the project aims to accelerate the uptake of circular economy practices and support Australia’s transition toward a more sustainable, resource‑efficient built environment.

Objectives

The project’s aim will be achieved through these objectives:

Benchmarking Circular Economy Practices by systematically assessing the current state of circular economy adoption, identifying gaps, enablers, and barriers across procurement, policy, material reuse, and life cycle practices.
Integrate Circular Economy Principles into Construction and Infrastructure Projects by developing and testing pathways for embedding CE principles and R-strategies (e.g., reuse, refurbishment, recycling) into procurement frameworks, material supply chains, and infrastructure delivery models.
Evaluate Decision-Making Factors for Scaling up CE by analysing socio-economic, environmental, and regulatory drivers that influence decision-making, and generate evidence on costs, carbon reduction, resilience, and social value to support widespread CE adoption.

Industry Outcomes

This project aims to deliver the following key industry outcomes:

Actionable Policy Tools: Ready-to-use model clauses, KPIs, and verification frameworks that enable industry and government agencies to embed CE principles in project planning and delivery.
Material Reuse Systems: Practical protocols that facilitate the reliable reuse of priority materials (e.g., bricks, timber, aggregates), creating trusted and scalable supply chains.
Evidence Base for CE Value Proposition: Demonstration of whole-life cost savings, carbon reductions, and social benefits from real-world pilots, providing the business case and replication guidance for scaling CE practices nationally.