Intent on creating a point of difference in the resource recovery market, Repurpose It has partnered with independent concreters Titan Pre-Mix Concrete.
In 2021, Titan was invited to set up a plant on the Repurpose It site in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Epping. The companies have since worked together to process recycled building materials into a high-quality concrete.
John McCluskey, Chief Commercial Officer, says given the increasing importance of sustainability in the industry, Repurpose It knew this was a great chance for collaboration.
“For us, driving circular solutions is paramount to ensure we create long-term benefits in our community,” says John.
“In order to do this, Repurpose It needed to find the right partner to help us deliver our goals.”
The right partner in this instance is Titan. For more than 40 years, the Trovatello family has supplied concrete across Victoria. With a focus on delivering a reliable product and strong customer relationships, the third-generation family business has earned industry trust.
John says Titan is not only a partner on-site but also a partner in delivering the right environmental outcomes.
“This is a partnership that we believe will bring long-term value, not only to us, but to our collective customers in a market that is forever evolving,” he says.
“Titan is the largest independent concrete supplier in Victoria and is punching well above its weight in a competitive market.
“It is constantly pushing boundaries to maintain that competitiveness, all while offering a quality service with a greener product.”
Repurpose It works to eliminate waste and pollution through closed-loop resource recovery. It creates repurposed materials from a range of waste streams, including food organics, garden organics, hard green waste, mixed rubble, concrete, and brick.
It follows a regimented quality assurance process to ensure the products supplied to Titan meet the highest standard.
Those supplied by Titan undergo the same rigours.
Daily operations begin with Repurpose It processing the materials through a wash plant to be sorted into three different fractions: sand, aggregate and clay.
Titan then takes a significant volume of the outputs, mostly the sand, which is then recycled into the finished concrete.
Adam Trovatello, Managing Director of Titan Pre-Mix Concrete, says the partnership has allowed Titan to create a sustainable concrete which exceeds industry requirements.
“At Titan, we are always pushing the limits and always looking at innovative ways to take on more recycled materials and use them in our mixes,” he says.
“We are proud to have a stellar reputation for quality while using recycled materials. Titan consistently proves we’re able to deliver high-quality concrete to our customers, no matter the makeup.”
John says being greener doesn’t mean the concrete is of any lesser quality and, in fact, exceeds all expectations.
“The testing by Titan shows that the green mix can exceed ‘traditional mixes’ in more ways than one,” he says.
“Not only is it better for the environment, but by incorporating high-quality recycled aggregates, sand, and high levels of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) like slag and fly ash, we create a finished product with better long-term durability, strength, better pumpability, and overall finish.”
Adam says the partnership has opened the door for many new customers and the chance to work on large infrastructure projects, including the North East Link in Victoria – part of the Victorian Government’s Big Build project, which will oversee the delivery of three major road projects in the state.
“The partnership has put us in a really good spot to be able to service the sector with our green, environmentally friendly concrete,” Adam says.
“If we weren’t so close in terms of proximity, we would probably struggle to take on some of the jobs.”
He says the partnership has also allowed Titan the chance to bring a unique offering to the market.
“Having an integrated supply chain and a partner that is willing to try new things, from a research and development (R&D) perspective, is critical,” he says.
As an independent company, Titan doesn’t have the same resources as some bigger companies, but Adam says testing and innovation are always a high priority.
“Although we have a small team compared to the majors, we’re constantly investing in R&D, conducting trials on-site, and pushing the boundaries to provide greener concrete solutions for our customers,” he says.
“As a company we are on the smaller side, but R&D is, and will remain, at the forefront of our business, along with sustainability.”
John says introducing a new product in the sustainability and circular economy space can be challenging, but the united effort has made it a breeze.
“By continuously proving that our product exceeds expectations and building momentum in this space, we have established a great place in the market,” he says.
“We’ve seen firsthand, based on Titan’s feedback, that customer response has been overwhelmingly positive.”
To uphold transparency and education, Repurpose It has made it a mission to educate the communities it’s servicing about the benefits of greener concrete.
“We have done a lot of work on educating them about what concrete looks like from a green perspective and how that is achieved from start to finish,” says John.
“Similar to that, Titan is forward-thinking in the market and also educates its customers to think about what they’re buying and what they’re recycling.”
For more information, visit: www.repurposeit.com.au
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