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Going Green: How one of Victoria’s largest municipalities is making use of recycled material

How one of Victoria’s largest municipalities is using recycled materials to reduce waste

The City of Greater Geelong has increased its use of recycled materials through a number of creative projects and trials, seeking to find new ways of using waste as a resource.

The organisations 2019-20 Annual Report highlighted that 8,745 tonnes of recycled asphalt materials were utilised in the building and renewal of roads, footpaths and furniture, with nearly 6,548 tonnes of concrete recycled within the same period.

A particular highlight was the saving of 3,500 kilograms worth of plastic from landfill through a trial of PlastiPhalt® , a new form of micro-plastic free asphalt made from recycled plastics. PlastiPhalt® was used on various major traffic corridors throughout the Greater Geelong region, including Roslyn Road in Highton, Moorabool Street in the CBD as well as Purnell Road in Corio.

Green concrete, a form of concrete that comprises various waste materials, was also used in construction projects in both Drysdale and Corio, with a recycled rubber athletics track also constructed in North Geelong alongside seawall concrete blocks at both Western Beach Park and Eastern Beach reserve.

COGG is continuously assessing opportunities to utilise recycled materials in major construction projects, such as implementing recycled plastic bollards and benches. In May 2020, a tender was awarded to five business to provide asphalt using innovative recycling methods. The successful applicants are currently researching innovative asphalt solutions, such as foam bitumen containing recycled road and asphalt, and GripPhalt, a product which uses up to 90% recycled and renewable material. One company is also trialling glass in base layers of pavement throughout Greater Geelong.

The City of Greater Geelong has also recently adopted the Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy 2020-2030, ultimately guiding the Greater Geelong region on how it can contribute to a circular economy.