Existing laws and regulations failed to prevent asbestos contamination of mulch. What’s missing is mandatory certification of recycled products so users can be sure they’ve been tested and are safe.
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Articles on construction waste
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Modular building techniques offer sustainable, affordable and adaptable solutions for a rapidly changing world.
We can construct buildings that reduce atmospheric CO₂ by more than their lifetime emissions. They now don’t cost much more – and a project involving 1.2 million homes would drive costs down further.
A new report outlines a comprehensive strategy for Australia to reduce the carbon footprint of our homes while making them more comfortable and affordable.
Our buildings and infrastructure can only become sustainable if the sector shares, leases, reuses, repairs, refurbishes and recycles materials and products. A new report maps out out how to get there.
The recovery rate from construction and demolition waste has been rising steadily in Australia. However, the use of recycled materials is still not the norm across the construction industry.
The energy-intensive process of producing cement and concrete contributes significantly to global warming while depleting resources. Much more sustainable alternatives are being developed.
The complexity of construction projects has driven an increase in building waste, which is difficult to recycle and reuse. But there are ways to minimise the problem.
Government procurement policies are the key to reducing Australia’s mountain of construction waste.
Construction and demolition creates more waste than any other sector, but much of it can be recycled. However, public resistance to setting up new plants stands in the way of a sustainable market.
A building designed to be easily taken apart so the components can be reused is a model for much less wasteful construction. It reduces resource use and environmental impacts, and can be cheaper too.
China has put the onus back on Australia to take responsibility for our waste, and Germany has shown us the way with extended producer responsibility for construction and demolition waste.
Top contributors
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Associate Dean and Head of Project Management, RMIT University
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Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University
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Professor and Associate Dean, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University
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Associate Professor, Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University
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Senior Lecturer, Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University
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Associate Professor and Assistant Dean, University of the Witwatersrand
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Professor and Director, Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, Curtin University
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PhD researcher, Curtin University
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Research Fellow and Project Development Manager, Cities Research Institute, Griffith University
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Professor and Head of Griffith Aviation, Griffith University
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Senior Lecturer in Civil and Structural Engineering, Flinders University
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Professor of Integral Design, Deputy Head, School of Architecture & Built Environment, and Director, Mediated Intelligence in Design (MInD) Research Lab, Deakin University
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Vice-Chancellor Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University
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Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research & Innovation, College of Design & Social Context, RMIT University
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Associate Professor, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University
