Circular Economy Research and Development Fund – Funded projects
These grants are part of the funding under the Victorian Government’s circular economy policy, Recycling Victoria: a new economy.
Organics
The fund supports research projects that explore new ways to use valuable Recycled Organic Products, generating economic and environmental value from organics that previously ended up in landfill.
Grants focus on projects that will:
- increase the value and effectiveness of existing recycled organics
- strengthen the recycled organics market
- improve soil quality and crop yields
- overcome commercial barriers to success in the recycled organics sector.
For more information, view the Circular Economy Research and Development Fund – Organics guidelines.
Materials
The grants funded projects which enabled research institutes to partner with the industry to research and develop new uses for recycled priority materials.
For more information, view the Circular Economy Research and Development Fund – Materials guidelines.
Fund recipients
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Announcement date: 21 June 2022
Agpath Pty Ltd
This project proposes to better understand the potential for a range of organic amendments to improve soil health and plant yield.
Funding: $297,000
Cirque du Soil
This project seeks to develop fertiliser products derived from food waste diverted from landfill through rigorous soil and plant testing trials
Funding: $165,776
Elmore Compost and Organics
The project will establish a deep soil amelioration research and demonstration trial site in dryland grains cropping on clay soil in north central Victoria.
Funding: $232,000
Gaia EnviroTech
This project aims to address two key barriers that currently prevent anaerobic digestion from being commercially viable in Australia.
Funding: $300,000
Terra Nova Ag
This project focuses on developing an integrated recycled organics Sub Soil Amelioration (SSA) solution that can be easily deployed across a wide range of cropping operations in the medium and high rainfall zones of Victoria.
Funding: $300,000
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Announcement date: 6 October 2021
ARRB Group
This project will investigate the use of an aggregate blend incorporating recycled glass to reduce the volume of imported treated natural aggregate and the add value to recycled glass fines to make the use of High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST) more sustainable and affordable by road agencies and local governments.
Funding: $81,000
CSIRO
This project will develop material specifications for uPVC recyclate with PVC compounders and manufacturers and develop a prototype device that will analyse the composition of PVC recyclate and determine what compounds need to be added to a particular input blend to achieve an output that meets the developed standard.
Funding: $300,000
Deakin University
The objective of this project is to maximise the amount of recycled polypropylene (PP) that can be incorporated into Gale Pacific’s existing product the ‘Landmark polyfabric’. Testing and evaluation will be undertaken to determine the maximum amount of recycled PP that can be used without adversely impacting the final product.
Funding: $255,000
Monash University
This research project will develop reinforced recycled plastic modular platform elements for tram stop platforms.
Funding: $300,000
RMIT
In this project, an innovative approach to control the dimensional instability of cardboard sections will be developed from core engineering principles. This theoretical approach will be augmented by strengthening and testing cardboards in the laboratory. These strengthened sections with proper connections will be used to construct a truss. This proof-of-concept design and application will be tested to Australian Standard loading conditions in the laboratory and evaluated by industry partners with practical application to case study sites.
Funding: $91,168
RMIT
This project aims to develop a low carbon concrete containing pre-treated cardboard waste as partial replacement for natural coarse and fine aggregates. This mix-design will be developed for adoption in a light and efficient precast wall panel system which is capable of being used in multi-unit residential and commercial constructions.
Funding: $200,000
RMIT
This project aims to develop roof purlins by sandwiching reinforced plastics between two timber veneers, and lightweight composite panels for roof solar systems using recycled glass for integrating Photovoltaics. The two proposed products will optimise capture and use of recycled materials in standard building and construction materials and processes.
Funding: $200,000
Swinburne University of Technology
This project will develop a new process for recycling polystyrene with tyre crumbs to manufacture performance enhanced composite products. The aim is to develop waffle pod spacers and reinforcing alignment products for residential housing slabs made out of recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS) and tyre crumb.
Funding: $200,000
Swinburne University of Technology
This project will explore new applications for utilisation of recycled plastics in innovative bedding solutions, including frames and mattresses. Micro fibre reinforced recycled plastic will be employed with the novel design of modular ROBOBED features to enable manufacturing of bedding componentry with structural performance equivalent or exceeding the existing solutions made of foamed plastics or wood timber features.
Funding: $300,000
Victoria University
This project will investigate the utilisation of blends of recycled glass, plastic, and tyre, as well as construction & demolition wastes (CDW) as backfilling materials in sewer infrastructure embedded in expansive clay in order to minimise the potential subsidence or settlements in “trafficable areas”.
Funding: $220,000
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Monash Institute of Railway Technology
Monash Institute of Railway Technology will partner with Integrated Recycling, Advanced Circular Polymers, Pandrol and the Australian Rail Track Corporation to develop the next generation advanced composite plastic railway sleeper, as a concrete sleeper alternative for mainline railway networks in Victoria.
Funding: $500,000
More information
This grant program is closed, but you can email us if you have any queries.