The Department of Environment and Science (DES) is running a pilot program that is saving off-cuts of PVC pipes and fittings used in the construction industry from going to landfill.
In a statement, the DES said funds had been allocated to the Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland (MPAQ) to support a six-month trial of the Construction Plastics Recycling Scheme.
It said the Scheme was administered by the MPAQ and the Plastics Industry Pipe Association of Australia (PIPA) and involved the establishment of collection bins at seven participating locations across South-East Queensland.
The Department said the bins provided the means for PVC off-cuts to be collected and recycled, with the waste material also audited and recorded.
Minister for the Environment, Meaghan Scanlon said the vision was for the State to be a zero-waste society, powered by a circular economy and “initiatives like the Construction Plastics Recycling Scheme can play an important role in achieving this”.
“With collection sites across the South-East, it will be easier for the construction industry to divert their PVC off-cuts from landfill and have them recycled,” Ms Scanlon said.
“That’s good news for the environment, good for businesses’ bottom line and great for resource recovery jobs,” she said.
Executive Director of the MPAQ, Penny Cornah said it was known that PVC could be recycled up to seven times without any noticeable lessening of quality.
“This pilot not only promotes PVC recycling and the identification of the volume of PVC off-cuts generated on construction sites, but it also raises awareness of the positive sustainability benefits and long-life attributes of plastic pipes, which last more than 100 years,” Ms Cornah said.
