Added: Dec 19, 2020
Last edited: Sep 08, 2023
The report State of play for circular built environment in Oceania provides a snapshot of the circular built environment in Australia and New Zealand. It paints a broad picture of policies and programmes currently in place, and clarifies areas where improvements could be made or future roadmaps for a circular transition drawn up.
The report notes that countries in the Oceania region are not on par with Europe when it comes to the circular economy. A large proportion (43%) of all solid waste is generated from construction and demolition activities; in Australia alone the volume of construction waste in 2017 amounted to 20.4 megatonnes. Construction practices are typically linear and use emissions-intensive materials, and rates of reuse are relatively low.
The Australian government completed an analysis finding that 9.2 full-time equivalent (FPE) jobs are created per 10,000 tonnes of material recycled—compared to just 2.8 FPE jobs per 10,000 tonnes of material that end up in landfill. It is clear that huge opportunities exist in the region for the uptake of circularity, which would be both environmentally and socially beneficial. Some regions have already set targets: Western Australia, for example, aims to recover 80% of construction and demolition waste by 2030. Other regions are currently making strides, with Queensland already recovering about half of its construction and demolition waste.
Overall, both Australia and New Zealand will experience population growth in the coming years, thus more stringent policy is needed to address concurrently increasing volumes of waste. While some regions—particularly New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria—do have some circular economy policies, the report recommends that governments should do more to enforce legislation by governing all parts of the supply chain, from product design requirements to recycling and reuse targets. Additional focus can be placed on refurbishing and retrofitting current buildings, while using secondary materials to meet the demand for new buildings.
Use waste as a resource
Team up to create joint value
Valorise waste streams - closed loop
Valorise waste streams - open loop
Industry collaboration
Government collaboration
Ecological Impact
Social Impact
Economic Impact
Jobs
Cost Savings
Reduce Emissions (SDG13)
Reduce Material Consumption (SDG12)
Minimise Waste (SDG12)
Reduce Energy Consumption
circular jobs