Soft plastics from approximately 200,000 plastic bags and packaging, and 63,000 glass bottle equivalents will be diverted from landfill to construct a Victorian road in an Australian-first trial.
Hume City Council and integrated services company, Downer, have partnered with resource recovery and recycling companies Close the Loop and RED Group to set this new benchmark in sustainability.
Along with soft plastics and glass, toner from more than 4,500 used printer cartridges and 50 tonnes of recycled asphalt were also repurposed to create 250 tonnes of asphalt that will be used to construct a road in and around Rayfield Avenue, Craigieburn, located in Melbourne’s north.
Downer’s Executive General Manager Road Services, Dante Cremasco, said, “What is pleasing to see is that this sustainable, cost competitive road has a 65 percent improvement in fatigue life and a superior resistance to deformation making the road last longer, and allowing it to better handle heavy vehicle traffic.”
Hume Mayor, Geoff Porter, said Council was proud to join Downer and its partners in the Australian-first trial.
“Hume City Council is very proud to be home to Australia’s first road which sees soft plastics and glass diverted from landfills and repurposed to create local roads.
“We look forward to monitoring the trial of this recycled asphalt and how the new surface performs over time.
“Sustainability is a key priority for Council and community. This is just one way we are working in partnership to respond to recycling industry concerns and highlights the importance of residents and businesses recycling materials, particularly soft plastics and glass, properly.”
