Page 43 - The Bulletin #135 Summer 2021

RECYCLED
MATERIALS
Road authorities have a responsibility to improve the sustainability of road asset management. Taking
into consideration the decline in natural resources, many road authorities are seeking alternative ways to use recycled materials as best as they can.
To assist local council road authorities, NATSPEC is part of an initiative with Sustainability Victoria, the Office of Projects Victoria, the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia and the
STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Civil Contractors Federation to determine opportunities to reduce landfill.
In 2019, NATSPEC conducted two major surveys aimed at local councils in order
to gather information about their current policies, specifications and documentation regarding the use of recycled materials in new roads, road maintenance and road replacement.
Phase 1 of the survey targeted all
537 local governments in Australia. The responses received provide a useful overview of the types of materials and specifications different councils use. These responses were then used to develop the following documents: Phase 1 Project Report Use of recycled materials for roadworks in local government and TECHnote GEN 028 Specifying recycled materials for roadworks using AUS-SPEC. Both are freely available online.
The second phase of the survey
focused specifically on gaining detailed information from councils in Victoria about the barriers preventing the use of recycled materials, as well as the opportunities and potential in this sector. The objective was
to seek input from councils’ Engineering and Infrastructure Development sections regarding procurement methods, current use and barriers to further use of recycled content, available documentation, and the role of state government in initiatives related to sustainable construction materials.
The major barriers identified by Victorian local councils as preventing the further
use of recycled materials were a lack of availability of materials, uncertain quality, uncertain costs, and a lack of suitable specifications. This is precisely the gap
that AUS-SPEC seeks to fill by providing
THE BULLETIN – Civil Contractors Federation VIC
SUMMER 2021 43
Recycled materials
in Local Roads