Recycling Paves Way: Bayside

Bayside Council is part of a Council consortium working on an innovative recycling program that could see recycled rubber from old tyres being used in asphalt for local roads.

The first phase of this project successfully saw recycled crushed glass used in asphalt for local roads as a substitute for natural sand.

This project, which involved 15 Councils working together, is expected to see 70million glass bottles recycled annually and diverted from landfill.

All low quality glass products collected by Council’s recycling program is crushed and re-used in asphalt on local roads in a sustainable practice that avoids the use of virgin natural sand resources.

This year, Council’s annual resheeting program will see 22 streets and 1 carpark being resurfaced using recycled crushed glass in the asphalt mix, saving 2 million bottles from going to landfill.

Phase 2 of the project is now underway and is looking at using recycled plastics and rubber in roads.

In particular, the recycling of tyre rubber for use in road resheeting works and using recycled plastic products in polymer-modified bitumen, spray seals, rejuvenation treatment and asphalt aggregate.

Trials using these new products could begin in late 2022.

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