Background

This update marks a year of the Timber Circularity Project running at full steam under the support of the FWPA and a consortium of industry and associations. It outlines work achieved to date on the seven project tasks which are being undertaken to better understand preservative treated timber (PTT) and engineered wood products (EWP) in a circular economy:

Determining volumes and geographical distribution of resources for reuse/ recycling.

1. Assessing resource condition and potential for reuse.
2. Identifying local, state, and federal regulatory hurdles to timber circularity.
3. Understanding logistics and costs by developing models for case studies and a pilot.
4. Collating potential solutions in a matrix and identifying key options and technologies.
5. Geospatially mapping resources, solutions, circular economy hubs and infrastructure.
6. Conducting a small-scale pilot to further understand issues and commercial feasibility.

The Technical Advisory Committee continue to meet monthly, review work and provide input.

Project progress

Task 1 - Volumes & Geographical Location

• Draft report of vineyard post numbers complete – volumes to be checked with on-site measurements and report finalised by June 2024.
• Frame and Truss (F&T) Survey in progress, to be completed by end of May for analysis. Good response to date with good cross section of responses.
• Ongoing site visits to F&T and EWP facilities as well as associated facilities (construction and demolition sites, resource recovery sites) to collate information.
• Utility Posts – discussions with stakeholders to check data. Draft report to be finalised.

Task 2 – Resource Condition

• CCA post retention analysis report complete and draft storage and handling report awaiting regulatory details.
• Ongoing site visits to understand types of F&T and EWP resource available and condition at point of fabrication and building end-of-life.

Task 3 – Regulatory Information

• Draft report completed and to be reviewed after Information sheets provided. A comparison of key aspects by state and recommendations have been provided.
• Draft contents for Information Sheets provided and work commenced. Completion estimated by end of June 2024.

Task 4 - Logistics

• Completed an analysis of Waste Levies and Costs Nationally including Metro and Regional areas. Summary to be completed end May 2024.
• Compiling information for comparative logistics for F&T and EWP case studies and potential pilot to understand collection, loading/ unloading, transport, chipping, including:

• • • Timber size and shape
    • Available chippers, loaders, trucks etc.
    • Productivity estimates
    • Machine cost information
    • Transport distance

Task 5 – Solution Opportunities

Building matrix of potential solutions mapped against availability, economic and ecological considerations, technical issues, scale, and regulatory implications. Matrix scaled according to the waste hierarchy – reuse at top, through to energy production. Matrix is ongoing with new solutions being added as identified. It is a work in progress but informing pilots and case studies.

Task 6 – Geospatial Mapping

• Collation of information including;

• • • Resource volumes and locations – vineyard posts, F&T facilities, EWP facilities, C&D facilities
    • Potential solution providers – energy requirements, particleboard, glulam, etc.
    • Councils with circular economy and zero waste strategies in place
    • Waste transfer stations
    • Licensed Landfills
• Initial mapping complete and reviewed for visual impact and comprehension.
• Development of icons.

Task 7 - Pilot

• Using Matrix to inform pilot.
• Discussions and engagement with solutions providers and mapping locations for logistics
• Investigating markets for reused/ recycled resource.

Next steps

Finalisation of volumes (Task 1), resource condition (Task 2), the regulation report & Information Sheets (Task 3) will be the focus over the next couple of months. Information for logistics modelling (Task 4) is being collated for two case studies so modelling can be completed by end of June 2024. This modelling will help inform the pilot and provide capability details. The Matrix (Task 5) is continually being expanded with further solution possibilities and will be a resource for industry. Volumes will be used as part of the Geospatial mapping (Task 6) to generate a Heat Map style view of Australia showing where bulk resource is. It is an ongoing process, and the map will be updated with volumes once data collection is completed. A workshop will be held for the pilot (Task 7) over the next couple of months to consolidate information, engage stakeholders and solutions providers, and move forward with the pilot. Currently, the project is ahead of schedule which will provide opportunities to write up case studies and papers to share information.

MAY 2024 UPDATE

JULY 2023 UPDATE

Back to Timber Circularity Project

Contact us

For the full report, including graphs and tables associated with this update, please contact Dr Penelope Mitchell for further information.