A Brisbane-based company is aiming to make the construction industry more sustainable through recycling efforts
A fleet of Isuzu trucks is being put to work to tackle waste issues in the Australian construction industry by Brisbane-based company Jumbo Skip Bins.
The National Waste Report 2022 estimates that construction and demolition (C&D) waste made up 38 per cent of wasted materials in Australia across 2020-21, at 29 million tons. This was second only to the commercial and industrial (C&I) stream at 43 per cent, or 32.8 million tons.
The Jumbo Skip Bins’ fleet of 10 trucks is being used to collect concrete waste from construction sites and deliver it back to sister company Moreton Bay Recycling where it is reprocessed to be used again in other projects.
It is an approach being taken to create greener, more sustainable construction practices within the industry says Jumbo Skip Bins director Rory Crundall.
“Historically, we’ve found that most construction companies haven’t been interested in how much of their waste is being recycled but that is changing,” Crundall says.
“The Queensland waste levy has incentivised companies to divert as much as possible from landfill, especially common materials such as bricks, concrete and soil, so we are moving more and more into this space.
“Even though it has taken more time and work to make it happen, I have always had an interest in environmental outcomes and have been willing to make the effort to deal with waste, separate it and recycle it into different streams.”
Jumbo Skip Bins has nine Isuzu trucks in its fleet, ranging from a medium-duty FSR 140-260 chain lift skip loader through to heavier FXZ 240-350 chain lift and FXZ hook lift trucks. These are put to work alongside the two newest additions, a FXZ 240-350 and an FVR 165-300.
The two new trucks have been kitted out with West-Trans body equipment custom designed to suit the work involved in the business.
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| Jumbo Skip Bins’ FVR 165-300 |
“The new trucks are a pleasure to drive, and the features Isuzu are including add up to make a big difference for our drivers,” Crundall says.
“We’re constantly in contact with them on the road, so the new consoles with Bluetooth and the big touchscreen are very handy. It also saves them having to buy their own devices to put in the cab.
“In the skip bin industry, we are constantly reversing around curves and in tight spaces, so the Allison auto transmission in the Isuzu trucks is definitely the way to go.”
Crundall, who is also a co-owner and director of Moreton Bay Recycling, says being able to use the skip bins to bring waste back to the plant for recycling meant they could offer “cleaner, greener outcomes for clients in the construction sector”.
The amount of waste produced by C&I and C&D streams has only continued to rise across the past 15 years, according to the waste report.
C&D waste has more than doubled across that time, while C&I waste has levelled off more, but is still increasing. Continued use of recycling and waste management strategies like those employed at Jumbo Skip Bins aim to see these numbers drop significantly.