The Andrews Labor Government is kick-starting the development of new ways to use recycled materials and reduce waste.

Minister for Environment Lily D’Ambrosio today visited Green Bear Recycling’s resource recovery facility in Tottenham, which converts construction waste from housing into materials that can be used to build houses – creating a closed loop.

The facility is backed by $500,000 from the Labor Government’s Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund, which will divert more than 95,000 tonnes of waste from landfill each year.

To encourage the development of more innovative ways to use material that would otherwise go to landfill, the Labor Government today announced $1.6 million for research projects that provide an end market for recycled materials.

Leading research institutions will also contribute funds to the nine research projects, worth a total of $3.4 million, to help build confidence and demand for products made from recovered materials in local manufacturing, construction and other industries.

The projects will look at new and innovative ways to use glass, plastics, paper and cardboard, as well as exploring new processing technologies for materials like e-waste. They include:

• roads and railway line noise walls made of recycled plastic with minimal use of virgin materials
• precast structural concrete walls using waste glass fines and waste paper fibres as mix ingredients
• using very high proportions of recycled crushed glass in hot mix asphalt for road network rehabilitation.

Institutions including the University of Melbourne and Deakin University will work to drive procurement of large volumes of recycled products into the commercial market.

The grants of up to $200,000 are part of the second round of the Research, Development & Demonstration Program and the Labor Government’s broader $4.5 million Market Development Program.

The Green Bear Recycling funding has helped support cutting edge processing equipment including water and air separation technology to convert concrete and rubble waste into high quality sand, soil and metals.

The funding 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 landfill each year.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio

 “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.”

“We’re backing innovative projects that explore new uses for recycled plastics and glass, while supporting businesses and creating local jobs.”