Breaking Barriers to largescale FOGO use in Infrastructure Landscaping – Environmental Outcomes

The MELconnx Alliance (Laing O’Rourke and the Office of Major Transport Delivery – OMTID) is delivering the design and construction of the METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line (MEL) Rail Project. The works include the construction of 21km of double-track rail, five new stations and associated precincts at Morley, Noranda, Ballajura, Whiteman Park and Ellenbrook, and major structures, including two road over rail bridges, two elevated viaducts, bridges and rail portals into a major highway.

A key performance indicator of the project was not only to decrease carbon impacts from project construction and operations but to do so in support of circular economy outcomes. One key initiative in achieving this was incorporating recycled materials at scale and reducing current barriers to entry for infrastructure projects. FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) implementation was a focus material for our client, OMTID, and MELconnx committed to implementing a soil-conditioner/topsoil blend incorporating a minimum of 20% FOGO material across imported topsoil mixes for 36,385 sqm of landscaping footprint.
Early discussions on utilising FOGO in landscaping were challenged by designers as it had not been done before at this scale. The initiative faced substantial barriers due to perceptions of nutrient unsuitability with the native planting palette, as well as contamination concerns. Significant consultation work was undertaken with procurement teams, the supplier (East Metropolitan Regional Council - EMRC) and the landscaping contractor - Deep Green Landscaping (DGL), who were the only tenderer to agree to consider FOGO implementation.

Collaboration commenced with MELconnx, EMRC - a state-funded organisation that collects and recycles FOGO across Perth, Dr Peter Keating - Soil Scientist from Bioscience, DGL and Eclipse Soils (our BaU soil supplier). Collectively, a research trial was set up to test the product prior to installation. Once the organic waste was broken down into nutrient-rich soil, our soil scientist tested pre-processed FOGO samples in accordance with the Australian Standard AS4454. Once approved, DGL took the compost to Eclipse Soils to blend it with bespoke materials to produce a high-quality product suitable for native planting.

The trial at Whiteman Park station has informed the permanent planting regime and will run for a further two years, inclusive of native seed blends. The trial is being monitored across different compositions of FOGO/Aquamore blends, with findings to be shared with the industry, to support implementation on future projects, breaking down the barriers for use encountered by MELconnx. The trial consists of four blends of FOGO and soil-conditioner, including 100% Aquamore (no FOGO), 60% FOGO/40% Aquamore, 40% FOGO/60% Aquamore and 20% FOGO/80% Aquamore, with the goal to investigate the best blend ratio to maintain plant health, whilst maximising the use of circular economy products. This collaborative trial will span multiple seasons to assess plant growth and detect any changes. Upon removal of the plants for testing, differences in root growth are meticulously recorded through photography and reporting, allowing comparison across all plants and soil compositions to address significant concerns.

FOGO has provided our landscape supplier with additional revenue streams/opportunities and connections that previously did not exist.

The outcomes from the FOGO trial on the MEL project have been three-fold:

1. The first project to install significant quantities of recycled FOGO material as soil-conditioner for native planting with over 900 tonnes of the circular economy output integrated into 36,385 sqm of landscaping where site-won topsoil was not utilised. This initiative has diverted an estimated 3,200 tonnes of household waste from landfill and avoided an estimated 6,000 tonnes of CO2e-associated methane emissions.
2. An ongoing (two-year) research trial to provide data and knowledge-sharing to the industry, de-risking and supporting future implementation for projects using the FOGO product with native planting whilst also supporting xeriscape landscaping outcomes.
3. Connection of supply-chain partners to facilitate future business opportunities for all parties involved to develop a bespoke, ‘off-the-shelf’ native FOGO blend that supports the circular economy in Western Australia, leaving a lasting positive legacy.

FOGO provides a unique opportunity to turn household waste into a valuable product that not only diverts this waste stream from landfill but also avoids associated landfill emissions. FOGO material provides circular economy benefits but, like all recycled materials, it requires demand for the end-use product to succeed. As such, government-funded projects, like MEL, are an opportunity for these recycled materials to be utilised at scale and provide a ‘tipping point’ for the industry to kick-start demand.

Not only did FOGO provide greater awareness and education to MEL’s workforce and contribute to the project’s recycling targets, but findings from our FOGO trial gave the Alliance certainty for its inclusion in wide-scale landscape planting across all five stations.

Some early findings include:
• Reduction of artificial fertilisers due to high nutrient-filled soil from FOGO material (including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and micronutrients), which aid plant growth but can contribute to waterway pollution if not managed appropriately.
• Increased soil microbe populations that help plants access nutrients and improve soil structure, making soil more stable and resilient to erosion.
• Improved soil water retention and increased water penetration, further improving the project’s water use reductions in operations and enhancing plant health.
• Reduced maintenance requirements.
• Enhancing ecological values – kangaroos have been visiting the FOGO trial at Whiteman Park, indicating plant health improvements on site where they have not been sighted before.

For the next two years, ongoing monitoring of the various plant species in the FOGO trial area will provide real data to demonstrate how different FOGO/Aquamore blended soil-conditioner mixes influence long-term plant and soil health. At specified intervals, the sample selection of native plants will be pulled from the ground, photographed, documented and examined by soil scientists to compare the different soil-conditioner blends, observing root balls and plant health to confirm significant differences or concerns. Plants are then re-planted and maintained for the duration of the trial. Results are shared with OMTID, and at conclusion of the trial, a scientific paper will be generated and shared with the industry to showcase the trial’s findings. The outcome of the trial and ongoing research is anticipated to establish a precedent that supports market transformation and gives enough confidence to future projects to embrace new materials like FOGO whilst also encouraging innovative landscape practices.

The connection of the supply chain has been important for the long-term viability of FOGO for infrastructure project use, specifically to create demand for circular economy products. Having an already tried and tested recycled product is a competitive advantage for our subcontractor DGL, as it provides them with a unique differentiator for their business. In addition, DGL have created a partnership between Eclipse Soils (large-scale supplier of landscaping products across WA) and EMRC (major supplier of FOGO in WA). This partnership has developed a bespoke ‘pre-blended’ native soil mix that makes implementation of FOGO feasible on projects, enhancing positive outcomes for the natural environment. FOGO provides suppliers with an opportunity to substitute their current finite soil-conditioner products, made from mixed shredded hardwood from the forestry industry, with a more sustainable alternative. Early transition and supplier planning prevents shocks and shortages in the market in the longer term, when the supply of BaU material becomes scarce. Further, the FOGO transition provides a more economical solution for suppliers and end-users, where FOGO products are becoming cheaper in project tenders requesting FOGO implementation.

Again, beneficiaries of the FOGO initiative on MEL are three-fold:

1. Suppliers, i.e. EMRC and Eclipse
2. Sub-contractor, DGL
3. Industry-wide

Our suppliers of landscape soils have partnered with the EMRC and have upskilled and educated their trainees and employees through site tours to understand the lifecycle of FOGO processing and compliance with Australian Standards, as well as the development of a unique ’off-the-shelf’ native FOGO soil-conditioner blend. Sharing knowledge and skills gained internally and externally provides new business opportunities that support the circular economy in WA and drive demand.

Our subcontractor, DGL, have already benefited from new business opportunities as a result of the inclusion of FOGO, which provides them with a unique point of difference against competitors in the market, where their knowledge and experience can fast-track implementation of FOGO at scale in landscaping across WA.

Industry benefits have been realised through MELconnx pioneering this initiative as it removes the risk for other projects to implement FOGO in a perceived ’risky’ application. As a result, demand for FOGO material across other projects is expected to increase in the future. Whilst the opportunity/cost of being a first-mover has initially come at a premium to the project, the costs associated with this trial have facilitated a more economical production with the supply chain and will assist in providing more cost-effective solutions to the landscaping industry going forward. This has already been realised on the Byford-Rail-Extension (BRE) project, where FOGO material is cheaper than BaU product. BRE has gained significant insight into MEL’s lessons learnt, fast-tracking implementation off the back of the MEL experience, with the goal of utilising a higher ratio blend (i.e. 40/60 blend versus 20/80 blend). In addition, Laing O’Rourke is receiving knowledge-sharing requests from our East Coast project teams to fast-track implementation, driving market transformation.

Industry knowledge-sharing has already occurred at Perth’s Green Building Day 2024, OMTID’s Knowledge Sharing Forums and across social media platforms. Internal project morning toolbox meetings to upskill and educate our workforce and supply chain, as well as across Laing O’Rourke Sustainability/Environmental HUB discussions, are further contributing to awareness initiatives that help to pull demand-side economic levers to support circular economy benefits of FOGO implementation across the construction industry more broadly.

The benefits of the MEL project pioneering FOGO implementation, at scale on the project, as well as setting up a 2-year research trial, has achieved the following legacy and UN SDG’s contributions:

SDG-9 (Industry Innovation and Infrastructure) & SDG-17 (Partnerships for the Goals):

Project investment in research and development has fostered innovation to facilitate this sustainable, circular economy initiative implementation and build industry capacity to support future infrastructure projects. The significant work done by the project team not only developed the native landscape specification to de-risk future project implementation but also cultivated connections of multiple supply-chain partners to provide an ’off the shelf’ native FOGO soil-conditioner blend regime that further assists the ease of market transformational uptake of FOGO implementation. The ‘FOGO legacy’ is compounding, not only does it provide for and support a new revenue stream for supply-chain partners, but it has also set a new industry standard for using recycled content in infrastructure projects at scale, highlighting the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating sustainable practices into construction. The FOGO initiative fosters resilience for the local recycling industry, as well as the health of the local environment, and promotes circular design initiatives within the industry. Most importantly, it has broken down barriers for future project implementation.

SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities), SDG-12 (Responsible Consumption & Productions), SDG-13 (Climate Action), SDG-15 (Life on Land), & SDG-17 (Partnerships for the Goals):

By being the first project to incorporate FOGO compost at scale, the MEL project has contributed to making urban infrastructure more sustainable and supported the local circular economy, as the demand for recycled materials, like FOGO, at the end of the recycling process is critical. The initiative helps reduce the environmental footprint of construction projects and wider city scale as it diverts a potent greenhouse gas producing material from landfills, reducing landfill emissions. Keeping this waste stream out of landfill is an important step for climate change mitigation in Australia, with the Climate Council attributing 11% of Australia’s methane pollution mostly to organic matter decay.

FOGO implementation as a soil-conditioner on MEL has set a precedent for how cities can integrate organic recycling into large-scale infrastructure projects, promoting more sustainable and resilient urban environments. FOGO implementation has also enhanced the environmental quality of the urban landscape by improving soil health and promoting biodiversity. The MEL project has shown leadership on how urban infrastructure projects can incorporate recycled materials to enhance the ecological value of development sites.

The legacy and impact of the success of the FOGO trial at MEL has encouraged the adoption of similar sustainable practices across other infrastructure projects, such as the Byford Rail Extension and Swan River Bridge projects. It has demonstrated the practical benefits, such as the cost-effectiveness of incorporating recycled materials and waste diversion strategies, encouraging sustainable practices for future projects. By proving the effectiveness of the approaches taken on MEL to implement FOGO, the project has provided a blueprint for future projects to follow and has reset industry standards as a result.

Importantly, the collaboration between the project’s supply chain, Deep Green Landscapes (sub-contractor), EMRC (FOGO supplier), Eclipse Soils (soil supplier), and the MELconnx Alliance highlights the importance of partnerships in driving sustainable outcomes. This collective effort underscores the potential for impactful change when stakeholders work together towards common sustainability goals and their practical implementation. Our supply chain has echoed the sentiment of pride in their involvement in such a ground-breaking initiative set to leave a positive legacy and the importance of collaborative efforts in advancing more sustainable consumption and production patterns, contributing to reduced landfill waste and promoting a circular economy.