Putting waste to work
The Earth’s resources are precious and finite, a stark reality we sought to address when we released Planet Positive: Waste & Materials, our road map for achieving our target to send zero waste to landfill by 2030.
Our plan is anchored on principles of the circular economy, whereby we expand our focus from waste diversion and recycling to whole of life material use. That means we strive to harness our purchasing power, influence over design, leadership in construction methods, and commitment to sustainable operations to ensure that we reduce our overall consumption and pursue re-use opportunities, while maintaining a strong focus on diverting waste from landfill.
In line with this, and building on the collaboration we began with Professor Veena Sahajwalla and the NSW Centre of Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) in FY20, this year we unveiled an apartment at Pavilions in Sydney in which green ceramics – made from waste glass and waste textiles – were used to form part of the flooring, wall tiles, kitchen and lighting features, furniture and artworks. These stylish and innovative green ceramics passed rigorous tests for slip and fire resistance and acoustics to comply with the Building Code of Australia; the culmination of more than a year of collaborative work between Mirvac and the SMaRT Centre. The successful application of the product is a world-first and demonstrates the potential to revolutionise the way we build by reimagining waste as a valuable resource, which in turn reduces demand for virgin materials.
“In Australia, the building industry is responsible for around 60 per cent of the waste we generate and globally, buildings are responsible for around 50 per cent of materials used,” said Mirvac’s CEO & Managing Director, Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz. “Through our work with Professor Sahajwalla and the SMaRT Centre, we’ve identified a way to not only divert waste from landfill, but provide a valuable second life for waste materials.”
The industry-leading Pavilions apartment progresses Mirvac’s collaboration with the SMaRT Centre, and with a shared commitment to the environment and innovation, there are more exciting projects already being explored. Watch this space.
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