Circular economy grant encourages sharing of prefab methods
Construction business Cross Laminated Offsite Solutions (CLOS) will show other companies its offsite construction method.
CLOS’s method reduces structural build time by 50 per cent, overall build time by 25 per cent and waste materials by an estimated 50 per cent, compared to traditional onsite methods.
Panels prefabricated in CLOS’s Avalon factory will be used to construct 26 townhouses on Geelong’s waterfront.
Prefabrication will mean the net-zero dwellings can be bolted together on site with the finished homes being made available to families in need, using a shared-equity finance model.
The Victorian Government has given CLOS $150,000 to share its method as part of its Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC).
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The CEBIC is also funding four other projects that are developing circular solutions for the textiles industry.
A University of Melbourne-led project has received $100,000 to explore ways to safely reuse disposable hospital gowns. Funding of $150,000 will help outdoor clothing manufacturer Kathmandu to explore renewal and resale of damaged or unwanted clothing.
“By accelerating businesses take-up of circular economy opportunities, we’re creating jobs and cutting costs to Victorians – and keeping our communities and the environment flourishing by reducing waste,” Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said.
“These projects will save 660 tonnes of waste a year, create over 40 jobs, and have an exponential impact on Victorian construction and manufacturing, which will cut costs for Victorians.”
The Victorian Government established CEBIC in 2020 with $7 million funding over four years, part of the $515 million investment to reform the waste and recycling industry in Victoria.