Boral has introduced its end-to-end Circular Materials Solution (CMS), a system designed to manage demolition and excavation waste materials for remanufacturing, returning them as recycled building products for more sustainable commercial outcomes.

According to a report from the New South Wales Protection Authority, construction, and demolition waste accounts for the largest proportion of waste generated, with 12.5 million tonnes in 2019-2020.

With an increased focus on creating a circular economy, the construction sector also accounts for the highest proportion of waste recycled, with 9.6 million tonnes.

Andre Gobett, the General Manager & Director for Recycling at Boral, recently provided an insight into how Boral is contributing to driving a sustainable and circular economy.

“Our CMS is one plank in our program of works to develop the circular economy in Australia and complements our work to use industrial waste by-products, such as recycled asphalt pavement, slag and fly-ash to produce lower carbon cement and concrete products, and our work to use waste-derived alternative fuels to replace fossil fuels in our manufacturing kilns,” Gobett said.

Over 2 million tonnes of construction and demolition materials, such as concrete, excavation-sand, sandstone, Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP,) and brick, has been recycled across the 14 facilities around the country.

“Over 95% of all waste received through our recycling network is recycled and repurposed into materials that can be used in the construction industry.”

Boral has several recycled products that lower environmental impacts, such as ‘High Grade Compaction Sands’, ‘Innovo’ asphalt system, and ‘Envir-O-agg’ glass sand.

“Our lower carbon Innovo system aims to improve sustainable outcomes by incorporating everyday waste by-products, such as glass, plastic, tyres, old road pavement, and slag, and repurposing them into roads around the country. Our Envir-O-agg glass sand is made of clean, washed and crushed recycled glass, blended with natural or recycled materials to provide a more environmentally sustainable product that can be used across a range of applications” stated Gobett.

Using these lower-carbon alternatives, accompanied with the introduction of the new end-to-end Circular Materials Solution will ultimately lead to a reduction in CO2 across the entire construction and demolition sector.