Development of large scale reuses of inorganic by-products in Australia: The case study of Kwinana, Western Australia

The development of regional resource synergies in heavy industrial areas provides a significant avenue towards sustainable resource processing. Despite the fact that the number of examples of regional resource synergies around the world is growing, the reuse of inorganic by-products (e.g. bauxite residue, fly ash, kiln dusts, gypsum, slag) in Australia have not yet materialised on a significant scale. This is due to the fragmented approach adopted in the past and a range of barriers associated with their reuse. The drivers and barriers for inorganic by-product reuses appear to fall in nine broad categories: regulation, economics, community, technology, transportation, confidential and commercial issues, risk and liabilities, industry focus and priorities, and region specific issues. This paper shows that significant potential exist for the establishment of large volume reuse of these inorganic by-products in Australia, using the Kwinana Industrial Area as a case study. The inorganic by-products available in Kwinana could be used to supply the growing demand for already scarce building and construction materials in Western Australia. Although regulatory reuse standards exist elsewhere (e.g. European Union, USA), one of the main obstacles for the Kwinana industries is the absence of standard application protocols to allow for the routine use of their inorganic by-products. A coordinated stakeholder approach is being facilitated and applied in Kwinana that targets the realisation of large volume reuse opportunities that have both a good business and sustainability case and also government and community support. Based on the Kwinana experiences, this paper provides perspectives and learnings for elsewhere in Australia and in countries where current regulatory frameworks do not encourage or restrict the uptake of inorganic by-product reuses on a large scale.