Major Victorian recycler opens sustainable asphalt and glass recycling plants

Major Victorian recycler opens sustainable asphalt and glass plants

Roads and Infrastructure Magazine attended the opening of the glass and asphalt plants which are an exciting development for Victoria’s circular economy.

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio officially opened Alex Fraser’s new high recycled technology asphalt plant along with an innovative glass recycling plant.

Alex Fraser Managing Director Peter Murphy said the new facilities incorporated design features to improve resource recovery and increase recycled content in construction materials.

The high recycled asphalt plant uses recycled materials as its main supply and only supplements with virgin materials when required.

The glass recycling plant has the ability to process one billion glass bottles annually and can recycle glass fines known as CSP which could not be recycled back into glass bottles or jars. The glass will then be turned into sand, which is used for major projects around Victoria.

The recycled materials produced will provide a significant capacity increase in resources needed to supply Victoria’s Big Build.

Alex Fraser is already supplying road base, aggregates, sand and asphalt to some Level Crossing Removal projects and the Western Roads Upgrade.

“These new $20 million facilities are part of Alex Fraser’s long term investment in improving resource recovery and infrastructure sustainability for Victoria,” said Mr. Murphy.

The use of the material from these new plants will have significant commercial and environmental savings, including reducing waste to landfill and heavy vehicle movements.

Alex Fraser estimates the reduction of carbon footprint for new projects, using its material, will be up to 65 per cent.

“We have created a unique network of facilities; capable of supplying large volumes of quality materials to infrastructure projects throughout metropolitan Melbourne,” Mr. Murphy said.

He said the products will be critical to developing markets for recycled materials, which will take pressure off Melbourne’s kerbside recycling.

The new plants are both located on site with Alex Fraser’s existing construction and demolition recycling plant which recycles one million tonnes of waste annually.

The high recycled asphalt plant was built over 16 months and is capable of producing up to half a million tonnes of sustainable asphalt yearly.

Both plants are located at Alex Fraser’s integrated recycling facility in Laverton North.