Ecoloop – The Solution to Your Sustainability Targets

In the midst of a global climate crisis, countries around the world have committed to reach carbon net-zero by 2050. Addressing sustainability across all industries is therefore a worldwide priority, and construction is no exception.   

A sustainability business strategy is intended to outline the effect that business has on the environment, economy and society, and outline a strategy to positively impact on at least one of those aspects. A company’s sustainability targets will be unique to their organisation, as they will reflect the individual business’ performance, goals, mission and values.  

For Fairview, our goal was to contribute to the circular economy and divert 100% of the cladding waste which the Australian construction industry was sending to landfill.  

The importance of having sustainability goals is to help in curbing global challenges, while driving the company to success long into the future.  

 

“’Doing good’ can have a direct impact on your company’s ability to ‘do good’” - (Falck and Heblich, 2007) 

 

Four reasons your company may wish to invest in corporate responsibility:  

1) Better for the environment. By facilitating the repurposing of recycled materials and reducing virgin material consumption we are substantially contributing to the circular economy and reducing our impact on the environment.  

2) Will lead to improvement of your bottom line. Sustainability focuses on efficiencies and therefore savings in areas such as energy consumption, waste control and general logistical and process analysis, streamlining, improve risk management etc.  

3) Your employees benefit from healthier and safer working conditions. A business that has a strong ESG policy will almost certainly have an equally strong focus on the welfare of their staff, providing a culture and working environment conducive to positive work life experience and engendering loyalty  

4) Being seen as a sustainable and responsible company, can provide a competitive advantage. When sustainability is a core business value it will most certainly be attractive to a likeminded customer and may just give you the edge. 

Sustainability reporting has become common practice for companies within the past several years, gaining acceptance throughout the world and serving as a means for companies to build public trust. 

 

Gary Norris, Fairview’s National Façade Manager for Rectification and Recycling says, “Moving to a circular model ensures that we take responsibility for our materials use and disposal, while providing us with an opportunity to both improve our business and reduce our impact on the planet”.  

Corporate Social Responsibility in the Construction Industry.  

An estimated 4.2mill sqm of cladding is non-compliant and in need of replacement. State Government’s mandated removal of combustible polyethylene (PE) aluminium composite cladding (ACP), as part of comprehensive rectification initiatives across the country, had created a new waste stream. With the construction industry already ranking as the second highest contributor of waste to landfill, generating approximately 12.7 million tonnes annually, environmental impacts of the new policy had not been considered. 

Ecoloop was approved to operate by Lithgow City Council in December 2020 (DOWNLOAD LETTER OF CONFIRMATION). The facility has the development consents and licensing required for its lawful ongoing operation and has since provided a sustainable solution to said rectification works by unlocking the resources in ACPs and diverting 100% of recladding waste from landfill. With over 98% of this waste being recycled, and the rest being utilised as processed engineered fuel, Ecoloop helps create a closed loop economy by making new products from waste that would otherwise be sent to landfill. 

The Ecoloop process can help stakeholders achieve their sustainability targets and maximise resource recovery from a product that until Ecoloop, was considered rubbish. This initiative makes it easy for builders, councils, developers, owners corporations and strata managers to demonstrate leadership and best practice in circularity. Fairview have adopted a product stewardship approach to products end-of-life, whilst facilitating the repurposing of new products, reducing virgin material consumption, and contributing to the circular economy. 

Ecoloop will provide project specific reporting, outlining waste recovered, material break up and end of life reports with accurate data insights tracking your waste through to its new life. 

Ecoloop – the leader for best practice in sustainable rectification works. 

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