With sustainable construction practices and technologies playing an increasingly significant role in major infrastructure projects such Victoria’s Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP), the groundbreaking rail project has found an innovative way to shrink its environmental footprint at a more personal level.
Since 2023, LXRP has partnered with textile recycling firm UPPAREL to divert old or unwanted personal protective equipment (PPE) away from landfill so it can be recycled in a sustainable way.
LXRP staff are required to wear PPE on work sites, including high-vis vests or jackets, hard hats, safety glasses, gloves and steel cap boots. The PPE has a shorter wear-life than other clothing as it needs to be kept in good condition to ensure the safety of workers.
Since partnering with UPPAREL, LXRP has diverted more than a tonne of PPE textiles for recycling, installing collection bins at project sites and offices.
Where items are not fit for wear, UPPAREL breaks down the textiles into a variety of categories depending on their material and decommissioning required.
The most common use of these textiles involves tearing them into a fine fluffy fibre called FillUP, which can be used to replace polyester fill for cushions and stuffed toys.
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UPPAREL has developed a technique to further compress the material to create UPtex, a lightweight material that can be used for packaging, signage, homewares and other industrial applications.
Earlier this year, LXRP staff visited UPPAREL’s Cheltenham warehouse to get a better understanding of what happens to their donated PPE and uniforms.
The team was given a behind-the-scenes tour of UPPAREL’s recycling process and even provided hands-on help with the sorting and decommissioning of more than 8000 items, diverting 1250kg of textiles from landfill and preventing more than 4200kg of greenhouse gases.
LXRP Director of Delivery Adam Maguire said the collaboration with UPPAREL was a natural extension of the project’s commitment to drive down emissions across all of its transport projects.
“LXRP is always looking for ways to innovate to improve sustainability outcomes across all touchpoints of our projects,” he said.
“While a lot of that innovation has revolved around the use of low-carbon materials and building practices, something as simple as recycling the protective clothing worn by thousands of our workers can have a huge impact in shrinking our environmental footprint, and in creating a circular economy that supports others.”