1.85 Enhancing the Use of Products with Recycled Contents in the Australian Construction Industry

The project will make a significant contribution to the construction industry by enhancing the use of products with recycled content. This will ensure increased business opportunities and benefits for manufacturers of such products and achieve circular supply chain sustainability. The aim of the project is to increase the use of construction products with recycled content to make the use of them more mainstream.

Objectives

The project aims to achieve the following objectives:

Identify factors (barriers and enablers) influencing the use of products with recycled content in the construction industry in Australia and understand end-user’s perceptions about the application of these products
Develop a framework for an independent certification program for products with recycled content and identify robust technologies to develop quality products with recycled content
Review the issues related to “Design for No Waste” and “Design for Recycling” and contribute to the development of relevant industry guidelines
Develop stakeholder-guided behaviour change strategies through a co-design/co-created educational program for the construction industry

Industry Outcomes

The proposed certification framework will ensure the provenance and quality of recycled products. Thus, the project will improve industry practice by bringing confidence back in the use of products with recycled content. The project will enable:

The project deliverables will:

In-depth understanding of barriers and enablers influencing the use of products with recycled content in the construction industry
Framework for an independent certification program for products with recycled content
Understanding of robust technologies for processing construction waste and developing products with recycled content
Contribution to Design for No Waste or Design for Recyclability guidelines
Pilot tested and validated education/training program aiming at behaviour and attitudinal changes for managing construction waste on construction sites

CIB World Building Congress 2022

CIB World Building Congress 2022 was held in Melbourne, Australia 27 – 30 June 2022.
The waste regulations developed in Australian states and territories have a significant impact on the creation and stimulation of end markets for C&D waste materials. This study analysed the industry stakeholders’ perceptions of current regulations in four states of Australia: Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales.

The impact of regulations on construction and demolition waste market creation and stimulation – Australian stakeholders’ perception (June 2022)