Coffee drinkers have helped to give the Barwon Heads Road Upgrade a green boost.
Spent coffee grounds were mixed with topsoil during landscaping to support plant growth in a joint project involving upgrade construction partner Decmil and social enterprise Reground.
The partnership nourished the landscaping’s topsoil with 22 tonnes of spent grounds, equal to the by-product of 570,000 lattes.
Decmil used the spent grounds in landscaping between Settlement and Barwarre roads, home to many of the upgrade’s 118,000 native plants.
“It was great working with Decmil and Reground to deliver this innovative initiative, which was Reground’s first project outside Melbourne,” Major Road Projects Victoria Program Director Tim Price said.
“Protecting the environment and supporting sustainability were important objectives of the Barwon Heads Road Upgrade.”
High in carbon, potassium and nitrogen, the addition of spent grounds can improve topsoil nutrient levels to support plant growth.
Reground collects spent grounds from cafes in Geelong and Melbourne as part of its work to promote a circular economy through waste minimisation projects.
“Incorporating recycled materials and sustainable processes was always a priority for our work on the Barwon Heads Road Upgrade,” Decmil Environmental and Sustainability Manager Dharsh Krishnan said.
“Our partnership with Reground diverted food waste from landfill. We look forward to partnering Reground again in the future.”
“Reground has been proud to partner with MRPV on the Barwon Heads Road Upgrade, demonstrating at scale the real-world value of organic resources collected via our hyper-local model,” Reground Operations Manager Annaliese Lawry said.
“We’re excited to identify new ways for community-led, circular solutions to transform industries.”
