CDE’s Daniel Webber highlights the core ingredients of a successful business case to turn construction and demolition waste streams into a resource.
Repurpose It
Scalable partnership: Repurpose It and Downer
Repurpose It has partnered with integrated service company Downer to support its recently unveiled construction and demolition washing plant.
Repurpose It launches Australian-first washing plant
Repurpose It has launched Australia’s first $8.5 million construction and demolition washing plant facility with Downer, who have come on board as a 50 per cent partner.
The 150 acre facility will recover and treat residual waste and process it into materials suitable for the civil construction industry, with a focus on reducing the reliance on excavated materials.
Repurpose It’s new washing plant will focus on reducing CO2 emissions, saving more than 84,000 tonnes of CO2 annually or the equivalent of planting 300,000 trees and 295 million kilometres of car travel.
This is achieved through a process of washing and recycling ordinarily difficult to recover materials through advanced screening, scrubbing and water treatment.
Repurpose It’s Founder and CEO, George Hatzimanolis explained change in the industry is vital following the sharp growth in demand for extractive resources in Victoria’s infrastructure sector and the growing number of materials buried under landfill.
“Our new construction and demolition washing plant will revolutionise the way we manage waste through our investment in cutting edge technology, allowing us to supply in-demand materials back to the industry while preserving the environment”, Mr Hatzimanolis said.
Downer Executive General Manager of Road Services Dante Cremasco said the plant highlighted the importance of partnerships to deliver sustainable practices and solutions in Australia.
“The new recycling facility demonstrates that with strong partnerships we can deliver change.
“It’s incumbent on all of us to work together to drive the circular economy, creating new avenues to recycle and repurpose waste materials into new streams of use. It is all about pulling products that we can use, not pushing waste,” Mr Cremasco said.
Victorian Government Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the state government invested $500,000 into the project as part of a Resource Recovery Infrastructure grant.
“We’re supporting large-scale infrastructure projects like this one to reduce Victoria’s dependence on landfills, create new jobs and drive investment.
“Our Recycling Industry Strategic Plan is helping Victoria’s recycling sector adjust to changes in world recycling markets so more material is diverted from landfill,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.
Repurpose It will partner with the state government on other projects to integrate waste into road and rail infrastructure works, including the Level Crossing Removal Project, Metro Trains, North East Link and the Western Distributor.
The latest round of the Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund is now open, with grants between $40,000 and $500,000 available to support efficient sorting, and the recovery and reprocessing of priority materials such as plastic, paper, cardboard and glass.
A further $1.2 million is also available to support the market development of recycled materials.
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Repurpose It goes Volvo buying excavators and loaders
Australian waste-to-resource company Repurpose It have opted for Volvo Construction Equipment’s excavators and loaders for their Victorian plant.
The five new machines will assist the company’s loading and handling duties to assist in their recycling operation that sees large quantities of waste material re-used in the construction industry.
One Volvo EC250DL and two EC220DL units were chosen for excavation duties on the site, Repurpose It aims to input the tools on general earthmoving, screen feeding, sorting and stockpiling projects.
The company chose the L110F and L220H two-wheeled loaders for their loading work which will see hopper fed into their new recycling plant.
Repurpose It CEO George Hatzimanolis said that the company was happy to choose Volvo as the manufacturer alings with their energy efficiency commitments and engineering values.
“Our business is focused on reducing our carbon footprint and working towards a more sustainable future, as is Volvo,” Mr Hatzimanolis said.
“We were also attracted to the quality that comes with Volvo machines.”
The two EC220DL excavation units chosen for the site uses Volvo’s modern D6 diesel engine reporting 10% extra fuel efficiency over its competitors.
The Volvo machines were purchased from Dandenong’s CJD Equipment, Volvo’s exclusive Australian distribution partner.
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Repurpose It named Westpac Top 20 business of tomorrow
Victorian recycling and resource recovery company Repurpose It has been named one of Westpac’s Businesses of Tomorrow for 2018.
The program showcases businesses that have shown adaptability, resilience, value to customers and a readiness to meet challenges of the future.
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Repurpose It was named one of the top 20 businesses and will receive a two-week study tour to Silicon Valley and a tailored $50,000 professional services package from their choice of select providers offering legal services, PR and communications, customer relationship management and management consulting.
Repurpose It’s George Hatzimanolis said the company is extremely proud to be recognised as one of this year’s top 20 Businesses of Tomorrow by Westpac.
“Selected from over 2000 applicants across multiple industries, we are honoured to represent the resource recovery sector and hope to demonstrate the innovative spirit that is strongly engrained across our industry as we convert waste to resource for future generations,” George says.
Repurpose It is in the process of installing Australia’s first construction and demolition waste washing plant, which will treat the residual waste from materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and process it back into materials suitable for civil construction. Based in Melbourne, Repurpose It will wash materials including rail ballast, glass, excavated materials and demolition waste fines.
The top 20 will also take part in a mentor matching program with notable Australian business leaders.
Westpac Business Bank Chief Executive and 2018 program judge David Lindberg said this year’s applicants demonstrated the scale of movement of the Australian economy into a digital world.
“The digital economy is predicted to be worth $139 billion by 2020 to the Australian economy – as a key driver of change in the future. This year’s businesses reflect the drive that’s disrupting and shaping the industries they operate in,” he said.
“Almost three quarters of the top twenty businesses are directly involved in technology or software development and this year also saw an increase in microbusiness applicants, including early stage tech businesses, which increased almost threefold from 2017.”
“This tells me leading Australian businesses are capitalising on the opportunities for growth. They’re breaking new markets, developing technology that helps people with autism gain employment, providing better analysis for solar energy users, using technology to make prescription glasses more durable and affordable and transforming waste into useful materials.”
Pictured: Repurpose It’s George Hatzimanolis.
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