Australia’s largest manufacturer of recycled civil construction materials the Alex Fraser Group is working in partnership with a number of Melbourne’s City Councils to deliver practical sustainability outcomes for the community.

This week, Manningham City Council officially launched its Andersons Creek Sustainable Pathway project.

This important recycling initiative used a specially designed glass mix provided by the Alex Fraser Group that included up to 30 per cent crushed glass in some sections.

In total 15 tonnes of glass has been recycled and reused in the project. The comprehensive trial will be monitored and reviewed by Swinburne University with the hope that recycled glass material will soon be common place in similar projects across Melbourne and Australia.

Municipal Association of Victoria President Councillor Bill McArthur, who attended the launch of Manningham Council’s project said increasing the recycled content of footpath construction materials was a natural progression for local government’s leadership in green purchasing.

“This project has potential benefits for all Victorian communities. It will not only reduce council construction costs, but also support local green industries by providing new market opportunities for recycled products, without reducing the quality of footpaths,” he said.

This is just one of a number of projects Alex Fraser has worked on with Melbourne’s proactive municipalities recently.

Brimbank City Council has also implemented a similar trial of glass mix in a car park application and Alex Fraser’s Asphalt division produced and laid a range of environmentally friendly asphalt mixes on 47 local roads for Whitehorse City Council’s annual road maintenance programme.

Alex Fraser Group Chief Operating Officer, Peter Murphy said local governments are really starting to see the practical benefits they can offer communities by using recycled materials in road and pathway applications.

“Recycling is not just putting something in a yellow bin, it is the full circle of then seeing that product reused in a valuable practical application – like in a road base or footpath.

“Councils that use recycled products are helping to close the loop in recycling and ensure genuine resource recovery and reuse is in action.”

Mr Murphy said the carbon benefits of using recycled materials are substantial and can make a real difference when applied to large and small infrastructure projects.

“Recycled road base products have a carbon footprint 65 per cent less than products made with virgin quarried material – yet they still deliver the same quality and durability characteristics required for public infrastructure projects. It is a win win for councils,” he said.

The calculate the carbon savings that can be achieved by using recycled products you can visit: http://www.alexfraser.com.au/calc.php

Alex Fraser Group has been leading the way in recycling in Australia for almost 30 years. The company helped establish a VicRoads specification for recycled road base material in 1993. Alex Fraser is now working with VicRoads Visy, Swinburne University and the National Packaging Covenant on a glass in road base trial.

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