This includes , for example , relatively straightforward initiatives like the design of car parks to improve traffic flow and land use . Market research by NRMA shows that , on average , we spend nearly a year of our lives searching for an available , cost-effective car parking space . Global research shows that drivers looking for a parking space can account for up to 40 per cent of all inner-city traffic . And with just one parking space for every eight workers , Sydney ’ s CBD ranks in the top 10 most expensive places to park in the world , with Brisbane and Melbourne not too far behind . That is a lot of time and energy wasted , not to mention the traffic congestion and pollution contribution created by driving . However , even relatively simple interventions like introducing diagonal parking allows more parking bays to fit into a given space . Drivers also need to change their direction of travel much less , making reversing out of the bays easier and safer .
Second , reducing construction waste . Australia ’ s waste generation has risen by 10 per cent in the two years to 2018-19 . Building and demolition activity has been a key driver of this increase : not entirely surprising given the national infrastructure boom in recent years . This is expected to grow even further in the coming years with additional state and federal government stimulus measures contributing to a recordbreaking $ 300 billion public infrastructure pipeline across the country .
Masonry , metal and timber are already commonly recycled and reused across construction sites . For example , over 90 % of all demolition waste in the construction of Sydney ’ s 5.8-hectare Central Park development was recycled , making it one of the largest recycling projects in Australia .
Third , generating critical mass in low embodied carbon materials . Infrastructure development presents a significant opportunity to deploy recovered materials . Australia ’ s infrastructure pipeline is a prime opportunity to deploy recycled materials - as inputs into building materials , road base , fill , among others .
There is a significant untapped opportunity to recycle key problem waste materials – such as plastics , glass , textiles and organics – as inputs into the construction sector . This includes using recycled content in building materials such as concrete aggregate , pipe bedding , footpaths , fence posts , garden edging , furniture , fittings , acoustic panels and so on .
For instance , property developer Mirvac recently launched a residential development project in the inner-city suburb of Marrickville with specific goals for using recycled materials in its construction wherever possible . Going beyond using recycled masonry and aggregate in road and footpath bases , they partnered with UNSW SMaRT Centre and NSW Circular to bring together design and engineering technology to develop fittings , furniture and art works made entirely from waste materials .
Greater supply chain management to reduce the drain on natural resources is also a commercial necessity for resilient development .
A 2019 study for Geoscience NSW found , for example , that there will be insufficient reserves of natural sand to meet local demand up to 2036 .
However , trials which have been ongoing for over a decade have now shown that recycled materials can meet required performance standards , be a cost-effective alternative to using virgin quarried material , and often a superior choice for major road and water infrastructure projects .
This delivers multiple benefits : from reduced waste transport costs and landfill fees , environmental benefits of reusing low-impact materials , to harvesting the commercial value and demand for sustainability certifications such as Green Star ratings ( the environmental certification for buildings set by the Green Building Council of Australia that incentivises the use of sustainable practices and products in the property sector ).
THE OPPORTUNITY FROM RECOVERING WASTE ALONE Australia ’ s pivot towards the circular economy gained momentum with the acceleration of the Chinese Government ’ s Operation Green Fence ( a policy introduced in 2013 ) to prohibit the importation of contaminated recyclables , followed by its National Sword program commencing 2018 cracking down on the illegal smuggling of foreign waste into China and the importation of certain recyclables , including plastics waste , unsorted waste paper and waste textiles .
On 1 Jan 2021 , Australia ’ s own ban on waste exports commenced , starting with a ban on exporting waste glass , followed by mixed plastics , tyres , single-polymer plastics , and finally mixed paper and cardboard .
However , while welcome , the export bans only scratch the surface of Australia ’ s circular economy opportunity . With many other materials heading to landfill , we are still missing out on the economic benefits of keeping them in productive use longer , while addressing the nation ’ s waste problem .
There is an even more significant onshore opportunity for materials recovery and emissions reduction that is five times the size of the waste export market : the 20 million tonnes of materials being landfilled every year . Some of the biggest opportunities for waste recovery are in organics , masonry and plastics , which together make up over half the materials currently going to landfill ( Figure 1 ).
INCENTIVES FOR HOUSEHOLDS AND BUSINESSES Households account for only 16 % of waste generation in the Australian economy but are responsible for the highest amounts of food and garden waste , plastics , and textile waste of any sector in Australia .
According to Rabobank ’ s 2020 Food Waste report , 13 % of Australians ’ weekly grocery shop becomes food waste , with the coronavirus pandemic derailing Australia ’ s progress in reducing food waste ( given a pre-pandemic statistic of 11 %).
This is akin to the average Australian household throwing away $ 1,043 per year ( and $ 10.3 billion nationally ) into the bin as food waste . The research shows that using food delivery services correlates to individuals wasting twice as much food .
Local councils can help reduce food waste going to landfill by , for example , offering food scraps bins and collections to local households , providing communal composting facilities , diverting food waste to energy recovery through biomethanation ( e . g . through anaerobic digestion ), or even trialling new ways of recycling such as through insect-based bioconversion of food waste into a soil improver and insect protein ( to be used as an animal feedstock ), such as that piloted in the Barangaroo precinct in Sydney ’ s CBD .
VOL 14 NO 3 2021 10 www . edaustralia . com . au