The Mordialloc Level Crossing Removal Project has become the first Victorian Big Build project to use 100% recycled paint.
Supplied by national not-for-profit organisation Paintback, the recycled tinted paint has been used across many of the project’s concrete structures, including bridge abutments, piers, cross heads and retaining walls for the new rail bridges at McDonald Street, Mordialloc and Station Street, Aspendale.
Since launching in 2016, Paintback has collected more than 65 million kilograms of unwanted paint and packaging across Australia, diverting it from landfill and waterways, and giving new life to materials that would otherwise go to waste.
To create recycled paint, water-based paint is pumped into blending tanks with added ingredients and preservatives. The mixture is then blended for up to four hours before being transferred to clean containers for further processing into ready-to-use paint.
Using recycled paint helps reduce the carbon footprint associated with construction while also providing a cost-effective alternative to traditional paint products.
The success of the recycled paint initiative is paving the way for other projects too, with the Boronia Station Upgrade also set to use Paintback recycled paint.
Paintback’s impact extends beyond repurposing paint for painting projects. In 2024, the Pakenham level crossing removal project donated residual paint and pails to the organisation. The paint containers were recycled, and the solvent-based paint was turned into fuel for cement kilns, replacing coal in the cement production process.
VIDA Rail Acting Sustainability Manager Natalie Yan said recycling paint was one of many initiatives helping the construction industry reduce waste, conserve resources and deliver more sustainable outcomes.“It’s a simple example of how we can move towards a more circular future by reusing and repurposing materials, rather than treating them as waste,” she said.
The McDonald Street, Mordialloc and Station Street, Aspendale level crossings were removed and the new Mordialloc Station opened to passengers on Thursday 21 May.
