NSW council diverts 210 tonnes of waste with recycled road

Shellharbour City Council in NSW is conducting a trial road resurfacing project that incorporates recycled waste materials into 4600 square metres of asphalt renewal.

Shellharbour City Council Mayor Marianne Saliba said by substituting quarried products for discarded waste materials in the road surface, council is supporting the circular economy transition.

“This initiative supports both council and private industry transition to more sustainable practices, and provides a real demonstration of Shellharbour City Council’s commitment to sustainability and the environment,” she said.

“This one road at Jarrah Way, Albion Park Rail will reuse approximately 210 tonnes of recycled materials that would have otherwise gone to landfill.”

According to Ms Saliva, the asphalt product – Downer’s Reconophalt – contains plastics, glass and other discarded waste materials.

Council will now monitor the road’s performance against comparable roads resurfaced with traditional asphalt to ascertain the long term performance of the recycled pavement product.

“Using recycled materials such as the Reconophalt product supplied by Downer to create new road surfaces is just one of the innovative ways that Shellharbour City Council has actively worked to reduce its environmental footprint,” Ms Saliba said.

Shellharbour City Council was one of the first in Australia to divert food waste from landfill at kerbside, with a FOGO service implemented in 2016.

“Council’s continued commitment to waste innovation through such things as the FOGO system, free recycling opportunities at the Dunmore Waste and Resource Recovery Centre, and the use of recycled asphalt continues to help grow the circular economy for the benefit of future generations and protects our environment,” Ms Saliba said.

Image credit: Shellharbour City Council

To subscribe to Waste Management Review with free home delivery click here.