News & Project Updates

Every year in South East Queensland about 40,000 tonnes of glass ends up in landfill.

Cross River Rail is helping to change that by working with Wacol-based Enviro Sands Pty Ltd and Brisbane City Council on a trial that uses sand made from recycled glass as pipe bedding fill for stormwater pipe relocation works.

The first trial was at our Boggo Rd site in 2020 and a second trial at Mayne Yard has also proven to be a success.

Cross River Rail is the first infrastructure project in South East Queensland to trial the material for pipe embedment and the crushed recycled glass is used the same as any other sand or gravel. And because the glass has been reduced right down to the same granular consistency as regular sand, it does not cut hands or cut into pipes.

This sustainable method not only reduces glass ending up in landfill, it reduces the impact of construction on the environment and helps to create more jobs in emerging industries in Queensland.

Moving forward there are plans to use the product on other Cross River Rail sites as part of the Rail, Integration and Systems works package and the initiative is also just one of the many sustainable innovations Cross River Rail is undertaking, which includes the use of recycled quarry products, lower carbon concrete, and pits made from recycled HDPE plastic.