Lake Macquarie City Council has used glass sand and recycled plastics on 30 metres of footpath as part of a project trialing the use of environmentally sustainable material.
‘Greencrete’ contains crushed glass sand and polypropylene strips made from 100 per cent recycled plastic which helps reinforce the concrete in place of steel mesh.
Manager of Lake Macquarie Asset Management Helen Plummer said 50 per cent of the fine aggregate used in the concrete was manufactured with glass sand rather than virgin material.
More than 5000 tonnes of glass is collected from Lake Macquarie homes each year, with a portion being sent to a Central Coast processing plant where it is washed and crushed into sand.
“We conducted extensive testing on the concrete prior to it being poured and it is a case of so far, so good.
“We will continue to monitor the footpath in coming months to see how it holds up to everyday wear and tear, and whether it cracks or wears differently to normal concrete,” Ms Plummer said.
Lake Macquarie council began trialling the use of recycled glass sand in civil works projects last June using the material in underground drainage pits.
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