Recycled First – An Accelerator for Victoria’s Circular Economy

March 4, 2020

Leading recycling company, Alex Fraser, has welcomed the Victorian State Government’s new Recycled First program, with Managing Director, Peter Murphy, dubbing it an ‘accelerator  for Victoria’s circular economy’.

“Recycled First provides clarity for the decision makers on Victoria’s Big Build, which includes more than 100 major road and rail projects,” said Peter.

Melbourne’s Web Dock West was one of the first projects to push the envelope of sustainability

 “To have the State Government strongly encourage the use of recycled content in these projects demonstrates very powerful support for resource recovery.”

“We know that a strong market for recycled materials supports resource recovery, which diverts more material away from landfill and reduces stockpiling. It also preserves valuable natural resources which are increasingly difficult to access and costly to transport.”

“Many Big Build projects are located close to Melbourne, making recycled material from metropolitan areas the ideal supply choice. The use of locally sourced recycled content substantially reduces heavy vehicle use, which reduces congestion and carbon emissions,” he said.

Peter said there has never been clearer direction on the use of recycled materials in major projects.

“Victoria has long led the way when it comes to using recycled material in infrastructure. Having assessed other jurisdictions in Australia and overseas, I know Victoria is the envy of many. Many local governments are making good progress, and this initiative sets a great example.”

Alex Fraser has the capability to recycle up to 2 billion bottles of glass that could not be otherwise recycled.

 Sustainability in Victoria is firmly in the spotlight this month, with the recent announcement of the 10 Year Recycling Victoria Plan, focussed on strengthening the circular economy. 

 “Programs like Recycled First will accelerate Victoria’s shift to a circular economy. It builds confidence in communities that there is a plan for their recyclable materials; it builds industry confidence to further invest in resource recovery; and it creates jobs.” Peter said.

“Typically, when governments support the use of recycled content first, communities benefit – reaping environmental returns, and reduced costs.”

Peter Murphy is Managing Director of Alex Fraser; one of Australia’s leading providers of sustainable contraction materials.

Alex Fraser is a key contributor to Victoria’s circular economy, annually recycling around three million tonnes into urgently needed construction materials to build greener roads.

To read more about Recycled First visit: https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/using-recycled-first-for-greener-transport-infrastructure/