Spent coffee grounds were mixed with topsoil during landscaping to support plant growth in a joint project involving upgrade construction partner Decmil and social enterprise Reground.
The partnership nourished the landscaping’s topsoil with 22 tonnes of spent grounds, equal to the by-product of 570,000 lattes.
Decmil used the spent grounds in landscaping between Settlement and Barwarre roads, home to many of the upgrade’s 118,000 native plants.
High in carbon, potassium and nitrogen, the addition of spent grounds can improve topsoil nutrient levels to support plant growth.
Reground collects spent grounds from cafes in Geelong and Melbourne as part of its work to promote a circular economy through waste minimisation projects.
The Barwon Heads Road Upgrade was Reground’s first project outside Melbourne.
Working with Reground helps the ecologiQ program of Victoria’s Big Build to deliver on the state’s Recycled First Policy. The policy aims to optimise the use of recycled and reused materials on Victorian transport infrastructure projects.
The Barwon Heads Road Upgrade was completed in July, six months ahead of schedule.
The project added 4km of lanes between Belmont and Charlemont, providing safer, more-reliable travel for all the road’s users.
The upgrade also built a 4km shared-use path for walkers and cyclists, upgraded key intersections, removed a dangerous level crossing and replaced it with a bridge over the railway line at Marshall.
The upgraded section of road is set to cater for 44,000 daily journeys by 2031.
MRPV delivered the project with construction partners Decmil, BMD and BildGroup.
More information is available on our Barwon Heads Road Upgrade page.