Victoria’s Big Build continues to drive the state’s sustainable and thriving circular economy to new heights, with the North East Link Project using innovative ways to repurpose materials, reduce environmental impacts and keep waste out of landfill.
The project utilises a host of innovative sustainable practices, including reusing materials to keep waste out of landfill.
“Part of what we do here is to support the Recycled First Policy across major infrastructure projects so that we can reduce our material impacts on the environment and reuse and repurpose materials rather than sending them to landfill,” said M80 Ring Road Completion sustainability advisor Amy Reader.
The Recycled First policy aims to optimise the use of recycled and reused materials in the construction and maintenance of infrastructure assets.
The scale of the M80 Ring Road Completion has allowed the project to partner with local businesses and suppliers to stay at the forefront of recycling and sustainability initiatives.
“We have a shared commitment to diverting waste from landfill and really looking for opportunities to reuse and recycle materials as much as possible,” said Amy.
Across the project, recycled materials are being incorporated in smart and practical ways, with cardboard waste being recycled into temporary site hoarding, recycled plastic bottles are being used in bridge decks, and recycled plastics are incorporated into precast panels, reducing the need for concrete.
Managing soil reuse is another key focus. When large volumes of soil are excavated from one part of the project, teams look for ways to reuse it elsewhere – either within the project, at nearby Big Build projects, or to help rehabilitate local quarries.
Local companies like Repurpose It are also playing a big role. Old road surfaces are crushed, screened, treated and returned to site for use in new construction works, helping to create a closed-loop system.
“When the project brings us material like concrete and asphalt, we crush, screen and then use our blending plant onsite to recombine it into VicRoads-spec materials that we can bring back to site,” said Repurpose It spokesperson Thomas Anton.
“The great thing about these materials is that they’re recycled and sustainable.”
This focus on recycling at the M80 Ring Road Completion is also providing important learnings for future projects.
“At Major Road Projects Victoria, we believe the best materials are the ones we don't have to use in the first place,” said Amy. “That means we’re reducing what we use up front and ultimately cutting down on waste and diverting more from landfill.”