A new agreement has been finalised between Main Roads WA and the WA Waste Authority that could see more than one million tonnes of recycled construction and demolition (C&D) waste diverted from landfill and used to build roads.


WA Environment Minister Bill Marmion said C&D waste was presently responsible for 50 per cent of all waste disposed to landfill in Western Australia.


“Western Australia has been the worst performer in the country even though C&D waste is relatively homogenous and material such as concrete is comparatively simple to reprocess,” Mr Marmion said.


In July 2011, Mr Marmion asked the Waste Authority to investigate the potential to improve the use of recycled C&D materials in State Government civil works.


A reference group consisting of State and local government representatives along with members from the engineering profession and C&D recycling industry consulted and ultimately prepared a report Increasing the use of recycled materials in State Government civil works October 2011.


One of nine recommendations involved negotiating a new specification for the use of recycled C&D materials in road base.


The Minister said Main Roads WA had endorsed a revised specification, also adopted by the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia and the WA Local Government Association, for the use of C&D in road bases.

 

The Specification 501 Pavements now recommends recycled concrete sub-base under full depth asphalt. Potential use in local government roads, pavements and curbing
C&D is the major component of landfill waste (50 per cent).