Innovations and Initiatives in Sustainable Construction
Construction is one of Australia’s largest industries in Australia, providing approximately 9% of our GDP and nearly 40% of our annual global carbon emissions. According to the Federal Government’s 2020 National Waste Report, Australia produces 27 million tonnes of annual waste in the building industry alone, which 44% of all waste generated in Australia annually.
Of this waste, 20 million tonnes end up in landfill each year, which can lead to serious environmental issues such as polluted water. Considering how much the building sector generates in terms of waste and pollution, I wanted to explore various subsectors within the industry to understand how our old ways of working can be improved to reduce costs, complexities, and environmental impact.
Rethinking Rail and Transport
While construction touches every facet of modern society, let’s focus on rail as it’s an important sector that underpins economic growth with the potential to support responsible consumption and a circular economy in the face of increasing urbanisation and population growth – particularly since rail reduces road congestion, carrying more customers and more freight while using less energy and producing less emissions than most other modes of transport.
I’ve seen various positive examples of how rail can be more sustainable and creative in how it develops and uses building materials that minimise environmental impact. In Southeast Queensland, around 40,000 tonnes of glass end up in landfill every year. Cross River Rail is addressing this waste in partnership with Enviro Sands and Brisbane City Council, using sand made from recycled glass as pipe bedding fill for stormwater pipe relocation works.
This innovative material has already seen successful trails at Boggo Rd and Mayne Yard, with further plans to use the product on other Cross River Rail sites as part of the Rail, Integration and Systems Works package. This initiative will also see Cross River Rail use recycled quarry products, integrate lower-carbon concrete, and develop pits from recycled HDPE plastic.
Cross River Rail is also using recycled plastic fibre reinforcement for concrete known as eMesh, which is more sustainable, safer, and cost-effective than typical steel reinforcement used on large projects, as it requires less effort handling and cutting. The material is made from 100% recycled Australian plastic waste and can even be reused in the future.
Additionally, Fibrecon, the company behind eMesh, uses National Disability Insurance Scheme workers to pack the concrete fibres, supporting about 90 jobs. Also, over 80% of the spoil generated on the project so far has been reused or is being stockpiled for reuse. Furthermore, Austral Bricks is using 60,000 cubic metres of the Cross River Rail spoil to make bricks for housing.
Another example came in 2018 when Downer Group partnered with Hume City Council, Close the Loop, and REDcycle to develop the first Australian road using a newly developed soft plastic and glass asphalt. The asphalt mix uses over 25% recycled plastic and glass that would otherwise end up in landfill. On average, every 1 km of two-lane road used 200,000 recycled plastic bags; 63,000 recycled glass bottles; toner from 4500 used printer cartridges; and 250 tonnes of reclaimed asphalt road, with 20% Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement.
Compared to standard VicRoads asphalt, plastic- and glass-modified asphalt provides a 60% improvement in fatigue for longer life pavements and superior deformation resistance for withstanding heavy vehicular traffic.
Considering an estimated 170,000 tonnes of soft plastic waste is created in Victoria alone annually, with only 10% recovered – this is an important project in reducing waste and developing more sustainable construction materials. The success of this project led Downer to construct soft-plastic asphalt road in Craigieburn and is now available across Australia with current use by seven local governments in Victoria and councils in NSW and SA.
This year we’re also seeing Australia’s first recycled kerbs being trialled at the Pakenham Level Crossing Removal project, delivered by Victoria’s Big Build in partnership with the University of Melbourne and Porous Lane, a company that recycles tyres.
The kerb forms a barrier between the road pavement and the nature strip, aiming to direct rain into stormwater drains and protect the edge of the road from erosion. One section of the kerb in the new East Pakenham Station car park has been made from a mixture of granulated waste tyres and crushed rock, which is bound together using an epoxy binder, thereby requiring zero cement.
Ensuring Water Security and Quality
Another important aspect of sustainability that is critical to my work is water supply and use, which needs to be economically feasible, socially responsible, and environmentally conscious. However, these purposes can sometimes compete when resources are limited; for example, water needed to meet the demands of an increasingly urban population and the needs of rural agriculture.
Water-smart agriculture includes farming practices that optimise water use efficiency while maintaining or enhancing crop productivity. This approach combines traditional agricultural techniques with modern innovations such as drip irrigation, precision agriculture, and drought-resistant crop varieties.
Promoting agroforestry (the integration of trees into agricultural landscapes) can also help improve water retention in soils and reduce evaporation rates. These practices not only conserve water resources but also increase biodiversity and enhance ecosystem resilience.
Additionally, fostering a culture of water stewardship supported by advanced technologies can help ensure water quality and security for years to come. For example, in California, the company WaterSmart uses AI-powered analytics to help water utilities identify high water usage patterns and develop targeted conservation campaigns for their customers.
Another example is the Israeli startup Utilis, which uses satellite imagery and AI algorithms to detect underground leaks in water distribution systems. In agriculture, companies like Prospera Technologies provide AI-driven insights to help farmers optimise irrigation scheduling, saving water while maintaining crop yields.
Locally, Water for Victoria is making legislative and policy reforms to improve strategic water planning and management; sustainability and resilience of Victoria’s water sector; and improved reporting, monitoring, and evaluation of water supply investments to provide robust, evidence-based planning while addressing the impacts of water extraction on the environment and communities.
Clean and Sustainable Energy
Energy consumption remains a critical component of sustainability discussions that impacts various aspects of our daily lives. The way energy is generated, distributed, and used brings an array of challenges, particularly in terms of environmental impact, waste management, and the ongoing debate about transitioning to renewables.
One compelling case study worth highlighting is Sweden’s use of waste to replace fossil fuels and produce a sustainable source of energy. The country is generating 100 million USD annually by importing rubbish and recycling the waste produced by other countries.
Consequently, just 1% of Sweden’s rubbish is sent to landfills, another 52% is converted into energy, and the remaining 47% gets recycled. The amount of energy generated from waste alone provides heating to one million homes and electricity to 250,000. By converting its waste into energy, Sweden has reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 2.2 million tonnes per year.
Sweden has made recycling easy, accessible, and convenient. A recycling station can be found within at most 300 meters from any residential area. Swedish citizens are incentivised by discount vouchers for using nearby recycling machines. Furthermore, in new urban developments like those in Stockholm, waste chutes have been designed to channel rubbish straight into waste-to-energy incinerators, so residents’ waste produced is directly transformed into energy for their own homes.
I have a vested interest in seeing more projects that push for sustainable construction methods and materials. As a member of the Infrastructure Sustainability Council, I’ve been working to get my accreditation in Infrastructure Sustainability rating, which is a voluntary third party assured standard that evaluates the governance, economic, environmental, and social performance of infrastructure assets.
My hope is to see this rating system become a standard across private and public works, especially as more asset owners recognise the value in sustainable practices – not only from a financial performance viewpoint, but as a long-term investment in our planet’s ongoing survival. Building more sustainable infrastructure sets a stronger foundation for future generations to grow and thrive.
