The Hallam North and Heatherton Road Upgrade is setting an example for sustainability across major transport infrastructure projects by installing environmentally friendly recycled pipes.
As part of the upgrade, crews installed almost 700 metres of recycled pipes to improve storm water drainage at the new Hallam North and Heatherton roads intersection.
These colourful, speckled pipes are 100 percent recycled high-density polyethylene, made up of a wide array of household plastic materials, such as milk bottles, shampoo bottles and kitchen and laundry product packaging.
More than 320,000 recycled plastic bottles and approximately 14.5 tonnes of recycled plastic were used in addition to other recyclable materials to create the pipes along this project.
“We are proud to employ more sustainable construction practices on the Hallam North and Heatherton Road Upgrade, not only because it helps us to deliver on Victoria’s Recycled First policy, but because it provides the best environmental outcomes,” Major Roads Project Director Marc Peterson said.
The installation of recycled pipes will reduce the project’s carbon footprint by preventing more than 14,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions.
It will also save more than 27,000 kilograms of embodied carbon that would otherwise be produced to manufacture concrete pipes.
The pipes are manufactured in country Victoria by RPM Pipes.
They are lighter than traditional concrete pipes, making them safer and quicker to install.
Major Roads Project Victoria and its construction partners, supported by Ecologiq, are committed to identifying ways to use more recycled materials across all major road upgrades, in line with the Victorian Government’s Recycled First Policy.
The policy, being delivered by Ecologiq, requires contractors on road and rail projects to optimise the use of recycled and reused content.
Recycled First is being implemented across future Victorian Big Build projects as well as Department of Transport projects from 2022.
The Hallam North and Heatherton Road Upgrade will be completed in 2023.
For more information about the Victorian Government’s Recycled First Policy, roadprojects.vic.gov.au/about/recycled-first
