We support the principle of the circular economy to maximise the useful life of products and materials.
As a fundamental practice, we deliver projects using resources efficiently, recycling, reusing, and taking a lifecycle approach to waste management. This includes reducing waste through smarter design and procurement.
CIMIC Group targets a waste reuse/recycling rate of greater than 75%, and also targets a limit of project waste going to landfill of less than 10%.
In 2023, the Group generated a total of 6.95 million tonnes of waste. This was largely spoil (waste earth, rock and debris) from tunnelling activity for major road and rail projects.
We are meeting our target of reusing/recycling greater than 75% of waste. In 2023, more than 92%, equivalent to 6.4 million tonnes, was diverted from landfill, mainly for reuse as fill material on other commercial and residential developments. We are also meeting our target of limiting waste to landfill to less than 10%.
During the year, approximately 7.6% (versus approximately 5.9% in 2022) was disposed of in landfill.
The Group has exceeded its reuse/recycle target over the past four years. We continue to seek to minimise the disposal of any waste to landfill or other destinations, however this outcome is driven by the type of waste generated on the projects that are undertaken.
In a major milestone, CPB Contractors, as part of the Fleurieu Connections Alliance, has switched traffic onto the new southbound lanes of Victor Harbor Road between Main South Road and McLaren Vale in South Australia. Ten per cent of the asphalt used on the newly opened lanes comprises recycled wine bottles. This is the equivalent of 459 wine bottles in every tonne of recycled asphalt in the base layer and 115 bottles in every tonne of the top layer.
Recycled limestone blocks are being used to construct 3km of retaining walls on CPB Contractors’ METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link project as part of the NEWest Alliance. Adopting the recycled material has resulted in almost 21,000 tonnes of material being used in a more sustainable way. Limestone blocks, steel reinforcement, concrete, ballast, plastic pipes and excavated material are being repurposed throughout the delivery of the METRONET works.
CIMIC Group’s EIC Activities is collaborating with the University of Technology Sydney's Nutrients in a Circular Economy (NiCE) Hub, in conjunction with the Australian Research Council and other industry partners.