Council to trial recycled asphalt product
Published on 21 January 2020
Roads around the region could soon include recycled asphalt with products from used toner cartridges, soft plastics and crushed glass being used in sealing our streets.
Goulburn Mulwaree Council will be trailing ‘Reconophalt’ when resurfacing of a section of McDermott Drive begins on the 31st of January. McDermott Drive has been specifically chosen as this product should suit the conditions and traffic in lieu of conventional asphalt.
Mayor Bob Kirk said he was excited to see the product being used in our region.
“I first heard of Reconophalt a little while ago, and after seeing positive results in locations like Sutherland Shire Council I’m looking forward to it being trialled in Goulburn.
“As a Council we are always seeking to be more sustainable in our day to day work, and this is a great opportunity that will hopefully lead to this product being used on more and more of our roads.”
Downer’s General Manager – Pavements, Stuart Billing, said Downer is pleased Goulburn Mulwaree Council are trialling Reconophalt, a product which will ultimately sustain the community’s road assets for longer.
“Reconophalt delivers direct sustainability benefits, is cost competitive and has enhanced properties of improved strength and resistance to deformation making the road last longer, and allowing it to better handle heavy vehicle traffic,” Mr Billing said.
“Further to the initial benefits of repurposing recycled materials in asphalt, Downer has the capability to perpetually recycle Reconophalt pavements into the future, providing a truly sustainable solution,” Mr Billing added.
The amount of material required for the works will be the equivalent of:
- 110,000 plastic bags sourced from Coles and Woolworth Supermarkets through the Red Group
- 2,520 toner cartridges sourced from offices around Australia through Close the Loop under the Planet Ark scheme
- 20,600 glass bottles sored from the RE Group in Canberra
- 42 tonnes of recycled asphalt as removed from roads around Canberra
In total, the Reconophalt supplied will consist of 34% of recycled materials that would have otherwise ended up in landfill.
As a result of the polymers within the plastic and toner, Reconophalt will have:
- Superior rut resistance when compared to standard asphalt
- A longer life as a result of improved fatigue resistance
Goulburn Mulwaree Council will continue to work with our asphalting companies to identify appropriate sites where we can take advantage of the Reconophalt product.