At Melbourne Polytechnic Heidelberg campus, the technical staff took a proactive step to address significant construction waste issues. Implementing the Finger Jointer Machine is an innovative solution to minimise new timber purchases and lessen landfill waste through recycling timber offcuts.
About the initiative
Recycling timber waste contributes to reducing landfill waste and is important for advancing towards a circular economy by repurposing of wood resources.
The Melbourne Polytechnic Heidelberg campus has implemented the finger jointing machine as an innovative approach to address one of the construction waste issues – timber waste.
This machine facilitates the adhesive bonding of two wood pieces to create a robust joint and form a complete piece. Its application extends across various disciplines such as joinery, cabinet making, shop fitting, carpentry, construction and furniture making.
Outcomes and next steps
Since using the finger jointing machine, Melbourne Polytechnic has diverted 176 tonnes of timber waste from landfills annually, reducing waste removal costs and minimising timber procurement expenses.
This initiative allowed the students to learn how to work with the machine and understand the financial and environmental advantages of proper waste management and recycling technologies.
To expand on waste management initiatives, Melbourne Polytechnic has plans to install a sawdust briquette machine to capture sawdust waste from the machinery workshop.
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