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In an innovative stride toward environmental sustainability, ACCIONA, as a part of the Southern Program Alliance, has forged a collaboration to create of a 100 per cent recycled drainage filter called a ‘Silt Sock’.
The new product is made from non-recyclable anti-gawk screen signage (banner mesh) material salvaged from level-crossing-removal-project sites.
Typically destined for landfill, approximately 5.3km² of this banner mesh is generated annually by level-crossing-removal projects, which represented a significant environmental challenge.
The development of the Recycled Silt Sock is not just a triumph of recycling but also a socially impactful initiative. The project has provided training and employment opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, especially women, and directs 50% of its profits to local conservation efforts.
Throughout the initial two months of production alone, the project provided 112 hours of valuable training and employment, transforming waste management into a conduit for social change.
Each Recycled Silt Sock embodies substantial environmental and social benefits:
- Diverts 0.15 kg of banner mesh and 12 kg of recycled washed aggregate from landfill
- Provides 0.5 hours of employment to CALD women
- Contributes $1.68 to local Australian conservation projects.
The roles of the collaborating organisations have been pivotal:
As part of the Southern Program Alliance, ACCIONA has managed the collection and testing of end-of-life signage materials, advocating for the use of the recycled product across our projects.
- Stratex have supplied recycled crushed brick for the silt socks and supported laboratory testing.
- Assembled Threads has repurposed the banner mesh into silt sock sleeves, using their manufacturing capabilities
- Cacti Conserve has distributed the product to the construction industry This collaboration has produced Australia’s first recycled silt sock, proudly manufactured in Melbourne.