Brisbane Concrete Plant Diverts 4.6 Tonnes of Waste from Landfill

As part of Holcim’s Health, Safety, and Environmental Improvement Plan (HSE-IP), Holcim Australia undertook three projects aimed at significantly reducing environmental impact across selected sites. The Brisbane City concrete plant in the suburb of Eagle Farm was chosen for the zero-waste disposal initiative, aiming to ensure that no waste generated on-site was sent to landfill.

An internal audit identified timber, particularly from pine pallets used for product deliveries, as a significant contributor to landfill waste. To address this, the plant collaborated with a nearby recycling facility—already partnered with Holcim for concrete washout recycling—to process the accumulated timber pallets.

The plant also sustained its existing practices, such as sending returned concrete to Holcim’s Petrie Quarry on Brisbane’s northside for repurposing into recycled aggregate, and utilising on-site cardboard recycling bins.

A waste register was implemented to monitor progress. Between September and November 2024, these efforts successfully diverted 4.6 tonnes of waste from landfill, primarily through timber and cardboard recycling.

The Eagle Farm initiative aligns with Holcim's global commitment to advancing a circular economy, which focuses on reducing, recycling, and regenerating materials to minimise waste and resource consumption. Redirecting materials from landfill has significant environmental benefits: conserving natural resources, saving energy and consumption of virgin timber, preventing pollution and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, preserving natural habitats, and protecting biodiversity.

By implementing local projects that emphasise waste reduction and recycling—and through products including ECOPact low-carbon concrete—Holcim Australia contributes to the company's overarching goal of building more with less and helping to preserve our ecosystems.

Holcim’s Health, Safety, and Environmental Improvement Plan (HSE-IP) includes focused reviews on eliminating emissions resulting from electricity consumption on site, ensuring no water pollution incidents occur on-site, and ensuring no waste generated on-site is sent to landfill.