The Road to a Circular Economy
The Road to a Circular Economy
The Main Roads Circular Economy Plan, recognises the urgent need to change how we operate in the face of the growing climate crisis. The Plan consolidates Main Roads’ commitment to recycling end-of-life materials and further efforts to adopt a whole-of-life approach to materials and products across the entirety of Main Roads’ operations.
Challenges and outcomes
The Plan was developed with extensive stakeholder engagement, not only to familiarise the concept of a circular economy, but also to identify barriers to overcome, as well as opportunities to further align Main Roads’ operations with circular principles.
It prioritises key materials used in road infrastructure that can be leveraged to increase circularity and contribute to the transition to Net Zero. These Priority Materials, which represent the best opportunity to provide traction, include Crushed Recycled Concrete, Crumb Rubber, Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement, Low Carbon Concrete, Green Steel, and Recycled Plastics.
The Plan has culminated in the Actions and Opportunities Program which sets measurable, time-bound targets to drive the transition to circular practices over the next five years while remaining adaptable to evolving regulations and advancements in innovation and technology. By leveraging government resources and collaborating with external partners, Main Roads can ensure that initiatives are well-supported and promote circular practices throughout our operations and beyond.
Next steps
This Plan recognises the role Main Roads can play in the broader transition to a circular economy. Ongoing engagement and collaboration are essential for continued circular material innovations and for the confidence needed for market development. This in turn has the potential to contribute, not only to Main Roads’ practices but the development of a local circular ecosystem.
The Actions and Opportunities Program is a comprehensive map for the introduction and development of multiple initiatives, set to realise Main Roads’ circular economy ambitions. This includes the provision of an updated Recycled and Sustainable Materials Reference Guide to facilitate the uptake of Priority Materials, the introduction of processes to evaluate projects for the application of recycled and low carbon materials, and the establishment of robust data acquisition processes.
Related tags
Contact info
Main Roads Western Australia
Louis Bettini
louis.bettini@mainroads.wa.gov.au
+61 8 9223 4327