Our Projects

The SPW CRC is proud to have initiated and commenced a research projects across its Research Programs.

Research Program 1

Materials and design – to reduce products’ environmental impact

Research Program 1 (RP1) will develop plastic compositions that are more easily recycled or composted, and product designs which eliminate their unnecessary use, enable their reuse, avoid problematic plastics and material complexity and increase recycled content.

Read about our projects below.

Traceable recycled plastics for injection moulding Neumann Steel/NuPod project with Griffith University

The aim of this project is to advance sustainability in construction by reducing polystyrene waste on building sites. The project centres around Neumann Steel’s patented NuPod® void formers and will ensure the consistency and quality of recycled plastics Newmann Steel uses in its injection moulding production processes.

Understanding social usage, attitudes, drivers and barriers which influence the adoption of compostable alternatives to flexible plastic packaging

This project seeks to define the usage, attitudes, barriers, drivers and opportunities with respect to compostable material adoption amongst representative key stakeholders across the value chain. It will generate the additional data/information required for more informed decisions by key stakeholders in the plastics value chain.

Developing a compostable barrier film for food packaging MyEco Group with RMIT University

The objective of this project is to develop a certified (home and/or industrial) compostable resin and/or film structure which is suitable for food packaging, with a shelf life appropriate to the specific food packaged, to replace conventional plastic, reduce the amount of soft plastic waste currently going to landfill and meet the demand of this emergent market.

At Neumann Steel, our commitment to responsible manufacturing drives us to continuously explore innovative ways to reduce our environmental footprint while delivering high-quality, durable products for our customers.

Partnering with the Solving Plastic Waste CRC is a natural step forward in our sustainability journey. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our vision to create a more circular economy by transforming plastic waste into valuable resources. Innovation in the reuse of recycled plastic is especially critical for our products, such as NUPOD and Nurail. Through CRC’s cutting-edge research and industry collaboration, we have the potential to improve the lifecycle impact of our products and create more resilient construction solutions.

This partnership is more than a research initiative. It’s a proactive step towards a cleaner, more sustainable future for the construction industry.

Neumann Steel

Research Program 2

Maximising the recovery and value of end-of-life plastics

Research Program 2 (RP2) will increase the recovery, sorting and recycling of plastics, maximising the value of the recyclates and expanding the markets for products that contain them. It will also enhance technologies for energy recovery from plastic waste.

Read about our projects below.

Upcycling of polyurethane waste into high value materials Pinlab with Deakin University

The project aims to address the environmental challenge of polyurethane waste by developing and implementing an innovative recycling methodology to convert polyurethane waste into valuable recycled products.

Development of sustainable polypropylene fibers and films from recycled waste Gale Pacific with Deakin University

This project is aimed at tackling the significant challenge posed by polypropylene waste management through the development of advanced techniques for upcycling. The goal is to convert polypropylene waste into valuable materials suitable for manufacturing melt spun fibers and films.