New Recycling Plants Boost Victoria’s Circular Economy

July 17, 2019

On May 31, 2019, the Hon. Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, MP – Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change – officially opened Alex Fraser’s new high recycled technology asphalt plant along with an innovative glass recycling plant.

The new plants are capable of recycling 200,000 tonnes or a billion bottles of waste glass into construction sand, and more than half a million tonnes of quality asphalt, every year.

Built alongside the existing million tonne a year C&D recycling facility in Laverton North, they work together to create a world-class sustainable materials supply hub, supplying major and municipal projects throughout Melbourne.

Managing Director Peter Murphy said the new facilities incorporated design features to improve resource recovery and increase recycled content in construction materials; providing a major increase in resources urgently needed to supply to Victoria’s Big Build.

“These new $20 million facilities are part of Alex Fraser’s long term investment in improving resource recovery and infrastructure sustainability for Victoria; an exciting development for our circular economy that will be instrumental to its growth.”

“From a single location we’re supplying recycled road base, aggregates, sand and asphalt needed to build greener roads and rail projects throughout metropolitan Melbourne. Our sustainable materials deliver significant commercial and environmental savings; reducing landfill, heavy vehicle movements, and the carbon footprint of new projects by up to 65 per cent,” said Peter.

Minister D’Ambrosio commended the initiatives.

“These projects represent, with great confidence, what can be achieved when you’ve got a smart business armed with a vision to enable a circular economy.”

“These plants will boost the amount of recycled materials used in Victorian projects like the Level Crossing Removals and the Western Roads Upgrade. With the massive boom of projects happening across our state, and with much more to come, we have to be smarter about how we use, and reuse through remanufacturing, to relieve the growing pressure on our scarce natural resources.”

“As our government develops our new circular economy closed-loop policy, I’ll be looking to engage Alex Fraser and Hanson on how we can achieve and maximise benefits…to understand the economic returns for our state, the investments, and jobs and opportunities that can be created,” she said.

Hanson CEO Phil Schacht attended the launch, and provided insight into HeidelbergCement’s global commitment to sustainability and how the new plants contribute.

“Our 2030 goals focus on reducing our environmental footprint, being a good neighbour and enabling the circular economy…helping to conserve natural reserves by continuously increasing the use of alternative resources as substitutes for natural raw materials.”

“Today we get a two-for-one offer, with the official opening of this beautiful asphalt plant and glass recycling plant. In anyone’s view, a billion bottles each year is a significant achievement. Especially when it is being recycled back into the asphalt with no detriment to quality or performance,” he said.

Peter concluded with a warm vote of thanks to the people behind the innovation.

“Alex Fraser has awesome, incredibly committed people, who are innovative, work hard and show great ownership. Their genuine team efforts got these plants off the ground and into production. To everyone who made these exciting projects possible, thank you!”

The story attracted a lot of public attention with news items appearing in more than 150 publications and online, reaching an audience of more than 3.8 million people.