2026 Reports

Construction Waste Recycling in Melbourne

Rundle, Peter G.; Doust, Ken

The focus of this report is to investigate the problems surrounding the effective and efficient handling of construction site waste through the lens of recyclable waste management. This case study looks at the construction of an inner city, seven-storey High Rise Building project in Melbourne Australia – a city with a population of 5,100,000.

The purpose of this report is to have maximum impact on the reduction of construction demolition waste (CDW) material to disposal by rerouting this CDW material through the most effective and efficient secondary recycling process and identifying the high value waste materials in terms of commercial return and potential volumetric/weight. Adopting a triple bottom line approach provides commercial benefits to contractor/builder/client stakeholders and social benefits to the community at large, improving the environmental footprint and creating a sustainable construction industry for future generations.