Recycled Content in Council Buildings and Infrastructure

Councils use significant volumes of materials when building and maintaining vital community assets and infrastructure, like community facilities, roads, footpaths and playgrounds. Virgin materials like timber, concrete, asphalt, steel and glass, produce significant greenhouse gas emissions through extraction, transport and processing activities.

Using recycled materials can not only assist in reducing greenhouse gas emissions along the product supply chain, they also reduce the need for non-renewable resources, assisting the transition to the circular economy.

When councils work together, they have the capacity to significantly drive changes in the market, for example through joint procurement, collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

That’s why EAGA councils have teamed up on a research project to investigate opportunities for councils to increase their use of recycled materials in their buildings and works.

EAGA has engaged Edge Environment to undertake a feasibility study to assess costs and emissions savings for increasing recycled content in their most commonly used materials. This report will assist councils in better understanding the recycled materials market and making changes to their procurement practices to drive further uptake of recycled materials.

To find out more, contact EAGA Project Officer, James Conlan here.