Recycled Plastic Noise Walls: Turning Tomorrow's Waste into Community Protection

When construction begins on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway noise walls, milk bottles and plastic wrap will start their transformation into vital infrastructure. The Eastern Freeway Burke to Tram Alliance (EBTA) – comprising Laing O'Rourke, Major Road Projects Victoria, Symal, Arcadis and WSP – is installing recycled plastic noise walls along sections of the 11-kilometre upgraded freeway.

The project is placing noise walls made from rotationally moulded plastic (RMP) panels containing 75% recycled content from both hard plastics (HDPE milk bottles) and soft plastics (stretch wrap). This innovative approach will divert 104 tonnes of plastic waste from landfill – equivalent to 2.4 million two-litre milk bottles.

The walls showcase a unique collaboration with Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elders, whose cultural stories inspired the design. The recycled plastic panels feature patterns representing traditional toolmaking and greenstone artifacts discovered during the project's design phase. This meaningful integration demonstrates how sustainable infrastructure can honour both environmental and cultural values.

Each panel incorporates hard-to-recycle waste streams that typically have limited recycling options. The manufacturing process, undertaken by AusGroup specifically targets post-consumer plastics including HDPE milk bottles and soft plastic films. The panels are designed to be 100% recyclable, creating a true circular economy solution.

The environmental benefits extend beyond waste diversion. The lightweight panels require smaller cranes for installation, reducing on-site emissions. An Environmental Product Declaration is being developed by EBTA in conjunction with AusGroup to quantify these carbon savings compared to traditional concrete or steel alternatives.

Practical advantages complement the sustainability benefits. The panels are safer for construction crews to handle, and if damaged, can be temporarily replaced with marine-grade plywood while new panels are manufactured – impossible with traditional materials.

This project demonstrates that sustainable construction can deliver superior outcomes across all metrics. As construction begins, the Eastern Freeway noise walls will set a new benchmark for environmentally conscious infrastructure, proving that yesterday's milk bottles truly can become tomorrow's community protection.