Funding has been announced to help researchers find new ways to recycle waste into materials for the construction industry, such as new precast concrete walls.
The Victorian Government announced $1.6 million for research projects that provide an end market for recycled materials, such as construction projects.
Additionally, research institutions will also contribute funds for nine research projects, worth a total of $3.4 million, to help build confidence and demand from products made from recovered materials in the construction industry.
The projects aim to find new ways to recycle glass, plastics, paper and cardboard, as well as explore new processing technologies for materials like e-waste.
Projects include road and railway line noise walls made from recycled plastic, precast structural concrete walls using waste glass fines and wastepaper fibres as mix ingredients and using high proportions of recycled crushed glass in hot mix asphalt road rehabilitation.
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Institutions including the University of Melbourne and Deakin University aim to drive procurement of large volumes or recycled products into the commercial market.
The grants of up to $200,000 each are part of the Victorian Government’s second round of the Research, Development & Demonstration Program.
The finding is part of the $26.1 million Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund, with 60 infrastructure projects expected to create more than 400 jobs and divert at least 900,000 tonnes of material from land year each year.
Victorian Environment Minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, said the State Government is backing projects that explore new uses for recycled plastics and glass.
“Facilities like these and the funding announced today will help develop an end market for recycled materials, which is crucial to keeping them out of landfill,” she said.