Jim Appleby is general manager of Reconomy at Downer. Last year, under his watch, Australia made global news for resurfacing roads and pavements using a product made from recycled plastic materials and glass fines. Next in Jim’s sights for diversion from the waste stream are road sweepings and excavation mud, as ingredients for a range of construction products. He will be a keynote speaker at the IPWEA International Public Works Conference in Hobart, 25-29 August.

inspire: How much recycled material has gone into road surfacing since Downer developed recycled asphalt?
Appleby: After three years of research and development, Downer Reconophalt was brought to market just over a year ago. Since then we have used more than 14 million plastic bag equivalents and 3.2 million glass bottles in this product alone.

inspire: What action is needed on recyclables for the circular economy to flourish?

Appleby: We need to expand domestic use of recycled materials. If governments at all levels were to mandate and procure more recycled products, this would drive investment into the industry, encourage innovation and produce tangible outcomes, taking the circular economy mainstream.

inspire: What should the community know about their part in a circular economy’s success? 

Appleby: Firstly, consider steering away from plastics and difficult-to-recycle products. Secondly, ensure you recycle effectively. This means understanding what can go into the recycling bins and ensuring items are decontaminated – or clean. Lastly, buy more recycled products.

inspire: What resistance is there from councils, to switching to recycled products? How is Reconomy overcoming it?

Appleby: There is a clear appetite from councils to switch to products containing recycled content. One barrier is the reliance on specifications developed at a State Government level. To overcome this, we are working with councils and state technical representatives to demonstrate that the performance of materials is not compromised when recycled content is added. This provides the confidence that materials will perform to the standards expected, while ensuring a more sustainable footprint.

inspire: What is influencing the recyclables industry today?  

Appleby: Since China Sword, and the ABC Television series War on Waste, and its press coverage, both government and public interest in recycling has escalated. This has increased transparency in the industry and added significant focus on the creation of domestic recycling solutions, rather than the previous practice of relying on overseas commodity markets. 

inspire: What is commonly misunderstood about using recycled products in engineering and public works?

Appleby: A product incorporating recycled materials does not make it substandard. Reconophalt is a great example. By introducing the recyclates used this product, we improved the performance of the asphalt, extending the lifespan of the pavement by three years.

inspire: What’s the likely next milestone for Reconomy?

Appleby: We plan to expand our footprint in detritus processing. This means using our reclaiming innovations to reprocess road sweepings, pit waste and hydro excavation muds to produce a range of high quality, high performing products. It enables us to divert approximately 90 per cent of these products from landfill. We will continue to expand our activities geographically and widen the product portfolio. We are focused on landfill diversion and repurposing, which together will have a significant impact.

inspire: What keeps you inspired about the work you do?
Appleby: My inspiration are my daughters, Grace and Ruby. They are passionate about recycling, sharing their knowledge with classmates at school, and genuinely wanting to make a difference. They inspire me to drive the circular economy and try to minimise the environmental legacy we are going to leave the next generation.

You can meet Jim Appleby and our other keynote speakers at IPWC 2019. Registrations close soon.