Sustainable Design Fact Sheets

# The circular economy shifts from a linear take-make-waste model to a circular process, reusing materials traditionally seen as waste. Subdivision design plays a crucial role in minimising waste sent to landfill, reducing embodied emissions and broader environmental impacts. Circular
Economy

Subdivisions can reduce resource use and improve retention of value through the materials life cycle by encouraging re-use of onsite materials, using recycled materials and providing the appropriate resource recovery infrastructure.

# Why do we need to change our approach to materials and waste?

Circular economy shifts the traditional linear economy of take, make, waste to one where the value of resources is maintained in a circular process. It looks at how resources that are now traditionally seen as waste can be reused, ultimately extracting more value.

With landfills across Victoria quickly reaching capacity and once abundant resources becoming more scarce as demand continues to increase, there is consideration of how to use less, while seeking opportunities to reuse materials through effective recycling.

Waste and pollution are largely a result of the way we design things. Around 80% of environmental impacts are determined at the design stage.

With this in mind, the way in which subdivisions are designed and therefore constructed can have a significant impact on the overall waste that is generated by the development process.

Although waste only contributes about 3% of Victoria’s overall emissions, (opens new window) the embodied emissions are significant (included in high emissions sectors such as manufacturing).

Lower emissions through the product life cycle will be a significant contributor to Victoria’s target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and is strongly encouraged through Recycling Victoria - Victoria’s Circular Economy Policy and Action Plan.

An image in two parts. The top section illustrates the circular process of material use within a recycling triangle. The first image shows a house, car, and shopping trolley representing household consumption. An arrow points to the second image of bins labelled 'waste,' followed by an arrow to the right labelled 'recycling.' The third image, labelled 'materials,' includes timber and steel. The recycling arrow loops back to the household image to signify materials reuse, with a second arrow pointing upward to signify residual emissions. Below this section, a pair of scissors and a dotted line indicate 'cut here to create your circular economy.' The lower section contains four images of the conventional process: an excavator labelled 'domestic extraction,' a ship labelled 'imports,' a factory labelled 'incinerator,' and a truck carrying materials labelled 'landfilling'. The circular economy shifts from a linear take-make-waste model to a circular process, reusing materials traditionally seen as waste. Subdivision design plays a crucial role in minimising waste sent to landfill, reducing embodied emissions and broader environmental impacts.

# Benefits of circular economy considerations in subdivision design

Developers can take advantage of:

  • Satisfying changing customer needs and expectations
  • Exceeding government regulations and stay ahead of new requirements
  • Demonstrating best practice circular economy principles in subdivision design

A new resident can expect:

  • Future proofing of community and building assets against changes in government regulations
  • Improved access to sustainable resource recovery options

“ When seeking to achieve a circular economy in subdivisions, the resource hierarchy can be referred to. The aim is to eliminate the need to dispose of materials (i.e. through landfill or energy recovery), ensuring that materials remain available for the future, retaining potentially valuable resources. ”

# Material selection

As virgin materials become scarcer (and so more expensive) markets for materials using recycled content will increase. Through the subdivision process alternative options to virgin materials are becoming more widely available.

Material selection principles include:

  • Encouraging the selection of materials with low embodied carbon in the construction of subdivisions
  • Ensuring materials and products are certified through strong third-party verification
  • Minimising future maintenance and upgrade requirements through durable and easily recycled materials choices
  • Supporting the local economy by buying local materials

Material choices play a fundamental role in designing for a circular economy. Choosing non-virgin materials that can easily be repurposed, can result in safer products for both future residents and the environment. It will also ensure that materials have lower embodied carbon, while potentially reducing maintenance and upgrade costs through improved durability.

# Reuse

Greenfield subdivisions provide significant opportunities to reuse materials, both directly from the site as well as considering the use of materials with recycled content.

Reuse principles include:

  • Encouraging the re-use of on-site buildings and materials in the construction of subdivisions
  • Using products with high recycled content and end of life recyclability in the construction of subdivisions

Reuse can go beyond choosing materials with recycled content, by ensuring that products can be easily repurposed at the end of life.

The subdivision process provides various opportunities to use recycled content including in bitumen, concrete and road base as well as street furniture such as bollards and seats.

# Resource recovery

The key to an effective circular economy is recovering resources so they can be reused, recycled or repurposed. Resource recovery principles include:

  • Ensuring the street network is capable of supporting organics and recycling collection
  • Providing for community infrastructure to support sustainable resource recovery

Resource recovery includes repurposing materials during the construction process as well creating the infrastructure to support future residents to repurpose such as infrastructure for communal organics collection where a council program doesn’t exist or community investments like repair cafes.

A recycling bin contains a plastic bottle and a glass jar. Three arrows point to the road, the footpath, and a bench seat, signifying that recycled materials can be used in this infrastructure. A person carrying a clipboard is inspecting the area. The subdivision process offers opportunities to use recycled content in materials like bitumen, concrete, and road base, as well as in street furniture such as bollards and seats.

# Case study
Location Yarrabilba, City of Logan (opens new window)
Site Area 2,058 ha
Number of Dwellings 17,000
Development Type Residential + community infrastructure
Year / Status 2011 / Ongoing
Sustainability Accreditation 6-star Green Star - Communities
Key Stakeholders Lendlease (Development)
Coreo (Sustainability)
Ricardo (Sustainability)
Key Features - Development of a Yarrabilba eco materials list including local supplier information.
- Pilot the use of materials catalogue software to track the provenance of new home materials, and their composition, wastage and material value.
- Re-using site materials in road construction to reduce the amount of materials being excavated and transported.
- Collection and processing of food and garden organics for use as high-quality compost in local market gardens and for agriculture.
- Developing a large-scale commercial composting facility, Modular Multi-Use Resource Precinct and a Materials Processing and Trade Centre.
- Establishing a community resource centre that will include a repair café, a sharing shed and an upcycling shed.

DISCLAIMER: This Fact Sheet has been created for general information purposes only. While the Fact Sheet has been created with all due care, no warranty is given as to its suitability for any particular purpose and users should obtain their own advice relevant to their situation and specific needs. MAV or any party authorised by MAV to reproduce the Fact Sheet is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or reliability of the Fact Sheet and accepts no liability for any damage, losses whether direct or indirect, claims or expenses howsoever arising from any party who may rely on its contents.

The Council Alliance of a Sustainable Built Environment (CASBE) maintains these Sustainable Design fact sheets on behalf of our member councils. (opens new window)

CASBE is supported by the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV).

Copyright © Municipal Association of Victoria 2025

←