Recycled First Policy

3429095 tonnes of recycled materials being delivered under the Recycled First Policy. The Recycled First Policy supports the Victorian Government’s circular economy strategy, Recycling Victoria – a 10-year plan to overhaul the state’s recycling sector, grow domestic recycling capabilities and fuel innovation.

Since March 2020, all tenderers on Victorian major transport projects have had to demonstrate within their bid how they will optimise the use of recycled and reused materials at the levels allowed under current standards and specifications.

Tenderers can also identify opportunities to trial new innovative products or opportunities to boost recycled and reused material quantities within existing standards and specifications.

Successful tenderers must report against their Recycled First commitments during delivery. This ensures recycled and reused materials are considered over virgin materials and will divert valuable materials from landfill.

The Recycled First Policy allows for continuous improvements to transport standards and specifications and research and development. It will develop new markets and create greener, more sustainable transport infrastructure outcomes.

View our Recycled First Policy (PDF, 99.6 KB)

The policy

The Recycled First Policy is a new procurement policy that applies to new major transport projects from March 2020 and the Department of Transport’s operational and maintenance projects from 2022.

It requires bidders to demonstrate how they will optimise the use of recycled and reused Victorian material within allowable limits under existing specifications.

ecologiQ works closely with project teams and contractors across Victoria’s Big Build to ensure the policy requirements are effectively met. Our team provides support by:

connecting projects with suppliers of recycled materials
changing technical standards and specifications
pursuing priority materials and market opportunity
building capacity to encourage the take-up of recycled and reused materials on major projects.

The plan

All tenders, proposals or other submissions for a Recycled First project are required to produce a Recycled First Plan as part of a complying tender and report on these recycled and reused material commitments in delivery.

The Recycled First Plan will set out the tenderer’s strategy and approach to optimise the use of recycled and reused materials. The plan must contain sufficient information to demonstrate how the tenderer will optimise the use of a range of recycled and reused materials in the delivery of the project at levels allowed under current standards and specifications and include material commitments.

Guidance materials

Reference Guides

ecologiQ has developed reference guides to support the use of recycled and reused materials in road, rail and ancillary infrastructure.

The guides offer a concise overview of the thousands of current industry standards and specifications that exist for recycled materials and will help prospective Victorian government contractors, project teams and rail transport operators to maximise reused and recycled materials in line with Recycled First Policy requirements.

Procurement guidance

Detailed guidance material is also available for government project teams and contractors implementing Recycled First.

Please email ecologiq@roadprojects.vic.gov.au to request a copy of the guidance materials.