Recycled asphalt used to surface Melbourne roadway

Reconophalt recycled asphalt is being used to surface more than two kilometres of roadway in Berwick, Melbourne.

Manufactured by Downer, the product contains recycled soft plastics from plastic bags and packaging, waste glass, reclaimed road and waste toner from used printer cartridges.

Reconophalt is currently being laid in stage 15 at Stockland Minta, a masterplanned residential community located in south-east of Melbourne.

The material from Stage 15 will divert approximately 1,356,000 plastic bags, 39,610 printer cartridges and 724 tonnes of recycled asphalt from landfill – saving the equivalent of 23.08 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

According to Stockland Project Director Kerry Balci, the environmental initiative is one of the first of many Stockland projects that will be using recycled asphalt.

“Our sustainability approach focuses on our opportunity to deliver shared value; specifically through our responsibility to create the right balance of social, environment and economic outcomes for our stakeholders, now and into the future,” she said.

“We’re proud to put Minta firmly on the map with this movement.”

Downer Corporate Affairs Group Manager Karen Winsbury added that there has never been a greater need to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, with soft plastic, tyres, glass and excavation waste being major issues globally.

“We needed to minimise the extraction of natural resources for use in this much needed infrastructure development,” she said.

“That’s why Downer has invested heavily over the past 10 years to create economic, social and environmental benefit for our customers and their communities by pulling products, not pushing waste.

“The project at Stockland Minta is a great example of forward-thinking, large scale projects that use these materials.”

Earlier this year Stockland brought forward their commitment to achieve Net Zero Carbon emissions by 2028, two years earlier than the original target of 2030 as part of their sustainability strategy.

The Minta Reconophalt project is a combination of work between Stockland, City of Casey Council, Downer Road Services and Winslow Constructors Australia.

Related stories: 

Send this to a friend