Construction Waste Lab (CWL)
Research and Industry Portal
Australian C&D waste market
Overview
Despite the preventative impact of landfill levy on waste disposal, market incentives were found to be a complementary strategy in the management C&D waste space. Development of the domestic market for recycled materials is an effective approach that is repeatedly recommended in policies, guidelines and previous studies, given the fact that overseas waste destinations are no longer available to Australian C&D waste-related industries. The successful development of a C&D waste material market hinges on several factors. Our research team has identified the main factors in the development of C&D waste marketplace as pictured below:
Barriers and enablers of C&D waste marketplace [full report click here]
Relevant reports
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Recycling market situation (Department of Energy and Environment)
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Market summary– recycled timber (Sustainability Victoria)
Business Recycling
In partnership with NSW Government (Department of Planning, Industry and Environment), Plant Ark launched Australia's most comprehensive online database that helps small to medium businesses find recycling collection and support services for the workplace. This platform invites providers of recycling and waste disposal services to list their details for free.
ASPIRE
Advisory System for Processing, Innovation and Resource Exchange (ASPIRE) is an online marketplace which intelligently matches businesses with potential purchasers or recyclers of waste by-products. ASPIRE was developed by CSIRO under the State Government of Victoria's Digital Futures Fund in partnership with several Victorian councils; its operation officially kicked off as of 2018. This system requires patrons to enter details about the type and quantity of their exchangeable inputs and waste materials (outputs). Using this data, ASPIRE's Supply Chain Options Model determines optimal sources and destinations for the materials, including options for aggregation with other local businesses, appropriate investment opportunities such as compactors for low- density wastes, and local recyclers. ASPIRE is deployed using existing established council and manufacturing business networks and supports local government business sustainability programs. It captures and codifies SME material inputs, outputs (waste and by-products) and processes and has a powerful optimisation model that takes this data and provides an SME user with three things: (a) suggested B2B resource matches, both substitute inputs or sources and output destinations (b) personalised search results to support the suggested matches and (c) case studies for related resource matches.
GreenHands
Greenhands is an online marketplace for recyclable excavated resources, C&D waste materials, and salvaged goods. It included a directory of resource/waste facilities, building contractors, construction sites, transporters, skip bins, rubbish removal and plant hire. Builders use GreenHands to source and dispose materials for projects, it can connect users with builders nearby and trade their excess or recycled materials with them.
Buy Recycled
In 2020 Sustainability Victoria is launching an online directory (Buy Recycled) that will feature local, Victorian products containing recycled content. The directory will help the Victoria government source recycled materials. It will be used by state and local government procurers and buyers to help them easily research, review and access recycled content products. The five requirements for suppliers are:
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Products must have some amount of recycled content.
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Recycled content use must be greater than 0%, but otherwise there is no minimum recycled content requirement.
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Be certified against any claims made. For example, a third-party Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).
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Meet all legislative and regulatory requirements.
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Meet obligations regarding environmental claims under the ACCC Competition and Consumer Act 2010
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Any claims must meet the ACCC Green marketing and the Australian Consumer Law guidelines